


Princess of Lunaris

by KeiKeiYuki18



Category: Original Work
Genre: Action, Adventure, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Bullying, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Developing Friendships, Drama, Female Character of Color, Female Protagonist, Growing Up, Humor, Light Angst, Love Triangles, Magical Realism, Multi, Reverse Harem, Romance, School-life, Slice of Life, Strong Female Characters, Weak to strong
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:48:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 28
Words: 35,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27863322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KeiKeiYuki18/pseuds/KeiKeiYuki18
Summary: Luna, princess of Lunaris, has her perfect life shattered into pieces when a great tragedy strikes her out of the blue-prompting the Royal Council of Lunaris to force an ultimatum upon her. She either proves her worth by attending and graduating from Starlight University--the Starry Galaxy's top prestigious educational institution for royals, nobles, and talented/gifted individuals--or revokes her status as princess and heir to the throne of Lunaris. Faced with a tough decision, Luna decides to attend Starlight University.While attending Starlight University, despite the hardships Luna faces from some of her peers, she sets off on a road of self-discovery as she faces her flaws, overcomes her fears, stumbles into romantic encounters, and forges true friendships. While at the same time, she must fight against an army of evil, led by a supreme being forged from chaos and destruction, who wishes to pummel the entire Starry Galaxy into the darkness.-"I'm not a hero or a saint. I'm just a person trying to change myself for the better." a quote by Luna
Comments: 7
Kudos: 10





	1. Princess Luna

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kei-Kei Yuki: Hi guys! So how is everyone? I hope you all are doing okay and welcome to the new year! Luna come and greet everyone~!
> 
> -Door opens and in walks, a nervous Luna: H-Hello e-e-everyone I-I'm Luna nice to m-meet you!
> 
> Kei-Kei Yuki: Don't mind her, she's just nervous~! Now it's time for me to do something, that I haven't done since I first started fanfic! Please sit back, get a bag of popcorn, and enjoy my new story, Princess of Lunaris~!

A pair of dainty feet stood on the cold tile floor. Fingers nervously fiddled with the edge of the sweater. Luna flinched when the man's booming voice, who sat up high with the rest of the council members, loudly called out her name. Slowly raising her head, Luna met their stares and felt like she was being stabbed a million times over from the piercing, disapproving glares they threw at her.

The knots in her stomach caused her to feel nothing but pain that she wished would stop. Eyes void of emotion, Luna looked towards the painted-glass ceiling above. Ignoring her mother arguing with one of the council members, Luna asked herself,

_'How did it come to this?'_

_'To answer this question, let me first rewind to about a week ago'._

_'When my life was perfect...'_

_'Just before the nightmare descended...'_

_'...and changed everything'._

In one of the many rooms located inside the grand palace of Lunaris, an older woman in a flashy pink suit, holding a ruler, was discussing the history of the planet. "Lunaris is one of the many realms that exist within the Starry Galaxy that holds significant influence. A realm that, despite its dark skies, is illuminated with hundreds of stars. A magical and enchanting realm where the citizens have lived in peace for the last decade. A peace which is thanks to Lunaris' extensive line of successful and mighty rulers," her stern voice explained, shoulders straight, arms folded behind her back which was facing her student.

"Lunaris' current ruler is an awe-inspiring man who, during his youth as a prized warrior, once went by the name, George the Titan Slayer. He earned this title when a group of aggressive and violent creatures called Titans once tried to invade Lunaris but were thwarted and slain in battle by a group of elite warriors led by Lunaris' current ruler. This great victory spread his name throughout the galaxy as his triumph of fame only increased once he inherited the throne. People call him a righteous and selfless leader, as he implemented new laws and trades solely for the welfare and peace of his people," the woman continued to explain, slowly turning around to rest her eyes on her student.

"Traits which the citizens of Lunaris hope are passed down to the next successor." However, the sight she saw caused her left eyebrow to twitch with great annoyance. 

This last line was hinted towards the young girl, who was at the prime of entering adult age, despite her looks that suggested otherwise. Laid with her head pressed against the desk, the princess was asleep with drool running down the edge of her mouth. Music blared from the pink earbuds placed in her ears.

Such a sight angered the woman. Clenching the ruler in her hand, she walked over to the girl and slammed the ruler on the desk. The sound was so loud that it bounced and echoed across the room, instantly waking the girl from her dream. Her large eyes, a mixture of purple and gold, widened like saucers. Pink round glasses hung crookedly off her face as she whipped her head from side to side.

"Who? What? Where?!" she exclaimed, only to shrink away like a frightened bunny from the seething fury of flames rolling off the woman, who just so happened to be her royal tutor.

"Princess Luna, how many times are you going to fall asleep?! You're a young adult now, the successor to your father's throne, and it's time for you to start preparing and taking your royal duties seriously!" angrily yelled the Royal Tutor. With her hair pulled back into a tight bun, Luna could visibly see the angry veins sticking out on her forehead. The woman's voice was so loud that Luna almost fell out of her seat as her eardrums were about to burst.

Luckily, Luna was used to the Royal Tutor always ranting at her for falling asleep in her class. Luna knew she was at fault but couldn't help but find all her lessons concerning governing and going into battle boring. Besides, it wasn't like her dad was pushing for her to learn these lessons. If anyone was pushing her, it was her older cousin, Lunaris' Royal Advisor, Mika. "I'm here to retrieve the princess from her royal lessons." 

Speaking of the devil, Luna saw a woman with creamy brown skin enter the study room. Her silk white ruffle blouse and short black pencil skirt outlined her hourglass figure. She was the very same woman who many, other than in appearance, compared Luna too.

They said things like how she should be as smart and outstanding as Mika, a respected and intelligent woman, who graduated from Starlight University at the top of her class despite her young age. Even before she was appointed as the youngest Royal Advisor, the number of deeds she had piled up behind her name caught many people's attention. 

They did nothing but sing praises about Mika, but the looks they gave Luna were nothing but disappointment. They saw her as nothing but a failure who could not uphold the honor of Lunaris.

Mika tucked a long strand of glossy lavender hair that fell down her shoulder-blades behind her ear. It was no wonder that whenever Mika entered the room, every eligible bachelor there would stop to stare at her. Whereas people tended to mistake Luna for a child, which she blamed on her babyish round face and short height that marked her just over five feet.

_'Tch, I didn't ask to be short,'_ mentally grumbled Luna, watching as her Royal Tutor, Ms. Catherine, rushed to Mika's side.

"Mika, my dear, I honestly don't know what to do concerning the princess! She is always ignoring my lessons and refuses to pay attention to them! That's it! If she doesn't take her lessons seriously, then I quit!" Both Luna and Mika watched as the Royal Tutor angrily packed her bags after making her demands and marched out the door.

Luna was not brave enough to meet her older cousin's disappointed gaze with the Royal Tutor now gone. Mika had known her younger cousin long enough to know that any words she could say would not help the situation. Besides, this was not their first time going through this as the woman who just left was Luna's third Royal Tutor. The other two had given up on the princess and turned in their resignation letters.

"Head to your chambers. The Royal Designer should be meeting with you shortly," Mika coolly told her younger cousin, who only felt more guilty with Mika not calling her out on her faults. The shame of not living up to her older cousin's expectations ate away at her stomach. Luna didn't mean to fall asleep and knew there were duties she must learn as a royal, but she never wanted to learn those things.

Luna was fine with just shutting herself in her room, reading romance books, listening to music, watching dramas, just as she had been doing for the last six years since she left her mother's realm and came to live with her father.

Eyes downcast, Luna timidly asked, "Why is the Royal Designer meeting with me?"

"Haven't you realized the Festival of Serenity, for Lunaris' first ruler and Great Star Divinus of the Moon, is celebrated once a year on the same date as tomorrow? Don't tell me you've been held up in your room all this time and didn't realize how busy the palace has been these last couple of days?"

Such accusations stabbed Luna's conscience because, sadly, it was the truth. For these last couple of days, a new romance book dealing with a reincarnated princess betrayed by her fiancée absorbed her attention. The plot was so captivating that ever since Luna picked it up, she hadn't been able to put it down, not even to sleep.

Finally having reached the climax earlier today, Luna was just about to turn the next page when Sophie, one of the maids assigned to her room, came and dragged her out. Only to drop her off in the study room where the Royal Tutor was impatiently tapping her foot while waiting for her. The woman did not seem happy that Luna was a half-hour late to her lessons and sent a few scolding words her way.

Reading the look on her younger cousin's face, Mika sighed and shook her head. "Look, I know you detest your royal duties, but pay attention to what is happening around you. Remember, ignorance can easily become a double-edged sword," Mika advised Luna before leaving the room.

On the way back to her chamber, Luna pondered on the last sentence Mika said to her. She was aware that her cousin meant well, but why use the phrase, _'ignorance can quickly become a double-edged sword'_? It wasn't like anything vital was going to happen soon. For all Luna knew, nothing was going to interrupt her peaceful life.


	2. Preparations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kei-Kei Yuki: Hi, guys! How's your day been? Hopefully good and if not, here is another chapter of POL to enjoy! Right, Luna?
> 
> Luna: Yes! I know I'm still new to all this, but I really do hope you all enjoy the chapter and give it your support~!
> 
> Kei-Kei & Luna: So please set back, relax, and enjoy another exciting chapter of Princess of Lunaris!

As soon as Luna entered her room, the Royal Designer, Madame Dia, instantly grabbed hold of her wrist and began measuring her height, bust, and waist. "Oh my, it seems like our darling princess has put on a few pounds since I last measured her." Once again, the man was adorned in another fabulous and exaggerated outfit. His remark shamelessly reminded Luna of the delicious pastry cakes she had been having Sophie send to her room, which would explain the extra weight.

"Now, as the proud princess of Lunaris, you must look stunning, darling~! KeKe, bring me the fabric!" With a clap of his hands, Madame Dia's assistant KeKe, who was always seen in a formal but stylish pants suit and sunglasses, placed a roll of lime-green fabric in his hands. Holding it against Luna's light brown skin, Madame Dia made an expression as if something had stung his eye.

"Oh, no! Bring me the next one!" This time Keke brought him a roll of hot pink fabric.

"I want her to look dazzling, not make the people colorblind! Next!"

"Again, I want her to be the belle of the ball! Not a piece of furniture! Next!"

"Razzle-dazzle, sweetie! Not a disco-ball! Next!"

For five hours, this torture continued until finally, Madame Dia decided on the right fabric and showed Luna many sketches he wanted her to pick from. She ended up choosing dress number 115. Now Luna picked this dress because of two reasons. Reason number one was because her patience had reached its limit. She was exhausted from looking through sketches.

Despite that, Luna usually loved looking through Madame Dia's sketches. She recalled when she once stumbled into his workroom and was awed by the extensive collection of finely crafted garments—awed by Madame Dia's craft skills when it came to clothing.

During this sight-seeing, Luna had yelped when a hand snatched her up, and it was Madame Dia. After questioning her, he somehow turned Luna into his model for the rest of the day. This was how she grew close to Madame Dia as she was also a huge fan of his designs. Which brings us to reason number two for choosing dress 115: the dress's sketch design suited her taste.

"Now, don't you worry, dear, once you make your grand appearance, everyone will forget those mean rumors concerning-" A cough from KeKe brought him back to reality, stopping himself from saying the words that almost slipped out and grimaced at his mistake.

"Ignore those last words, dear! KeKe, pack up. We are rolling out!" Sensing the awkward tension in the room, Madame Dia quickly exited. Left alone, Luna slumped down on her bed, aware of the words Madame Dia almost let slip. Though Luna barely left her room, she once overheard the maids when they were cleaning her chambers. They thought she could not hear them because of the earbuds in her ears but had not known that Luna paused her music.

Chatting amongst themselves, the maids mentioned her as Lunaris' Shut-In Princess. Of how everyone outside called her Lunaris' failure. The princess who will bring Lunaris' to its doom. "It's not my fault I'm untalented! I didn't ask to be heiress of Lunaris!" Holding a pink heart-shaped pillow to her chest, Luna vented her frustrations. Lying on the bed, she rolled to her side, crystal hot tears running down her soft cheeks.

"I'm so afraid to face the world. I'm not brave enough! So please leave me in the sanctuary of my room for all of eternity." She whispered into her pillow, the anxieties that plagued her mind, the mountain of responsibilities. It was all too much and Luna wanted none of it! Unlike many others her age, she wasn't ready to face the world on her own. Nothing beats the comfort of her own room. Behind her father's palace walls, Luna felt safe and secure.

"Stand back 'cause Super Dad is about to make his appearance!" said a booming baritone voice on the other side of her door. His voice caused Luna to break out into a halfhearted smile. Luna wiped her tears just in time for the doors to swing open, and in marched a towering stocky man, the awe-inspiring ruler of Lunaris.

"Sweet-Pea, how come I can sense your sadness from miles away?" His dotting, concerned voice filled Luna with reassurance and warmth. His manly image contrasted strongly against her girly sweet-theme decor room. Luna's bedroom walls were pastel colors consisting of lilac, cotton-candy pink, and icy blue. A collection of plushies, gifted to her when she was a child, was neatly stationed on the left side of her room.

Luna's bed was placed in the middle with a canopy covering it, and large windows were placed on either side of the bed. Colorful lanterns in the shape of various desserts floated from the ceiling. "Sweetie, I can always tell when something is bothering you. Now, tell Dad what's wrong?" worriedly asked Luna's father as the left side of the bed sank when her father took a seat. Luna sat up to vent her frustrations to him.

"I don't mean to be a disappointment! It's just so hard and scary! I don't want to be an heiress, dad! Don't you hear what people call me! Lunaris' Failure! Lunaris' Doom! I don't want to fail you, but with me as your successor, only great distress awaits Lunaris!"

Luna cried; tears stained her cheeks. The sight of his daughter in tears stabbed at her father's heart as he hated seeing the sweet apple of his eyes suffering and in tears. "Oh, sweetie, you're not a failure! You're my sweet Lil princess! Don't take to heart what other people say about you! Everyone has flaws and weaknesses. What matters is how you overcome them." Reaching out his large hands, he used his fingers to wipe away her tears.

"But, Dad, what if I can't?" helplessly asked Luna.

"Sweetie, I believe in you. There's a reason why you are my successor. Now I know the expectations and duties that come with being the heir to my throne can be frightening, but you will overcome them 'cause if you're anything like your mother, nothing will stand in your way!"

A simple kiss on her forehead from her dad always had the power to lift Luna's spirits and brighten her day. While others respected and feared her father, the great and all-powerful ruler of Lunaris, to Luna, he would always be her dotting, corny dad, who loved and understood her the most in this galaxy.

"I love you, dad!" Luna threw her arms around her father's waist.

"Love you too, sweet-pea!" Laughing, her father returned the hug, happy to see his sweet baby girl smiling again.

After father and daughter had a long touching moment, the ruler of Lunaris exited his daughter's chambers and returned to his study room. Inside waiting for him was the Prime Minister and his Royal Advisor. "My liege, I mean this with the best of intentions, but you must pull back when it comes to spoiling the princess. She is the next heir to the throne, but neither Lunaris' citizens nor the Royal Council acknowledges her as your successor!" stressed Lunaris' Royal Advisor, Mika, who was also his niece.

"Sir, what the Royal Advisor says is true. Rumors of the princess's drawbacks have already spread across the Starry Galaxy. Lunaris, which holds the second greatest influence, has become a laughing stock thanks to the princess. Sir, I mean no disrespect when I say this, but maybe you should consider-"

Before the Prime Minister could finish, an overwhelming pressure of gravity pushed him down to his knees and nearly crushed his bones. The Prime Minister's fearful eyes were forced to face his monarch. "Don't even think about it! Never will I change my successor," he, who holds all authority of Lunaris, grounded out in a cold, harsh tone.

Reminding those in the room that he was Lunaris's mightiest warrior who fought on the battlefield before he inherited the throne. Even the aggressive, battle loving ruler of Militum held him in high respect. A sheen of sweat-drenched Mika's forehead.

Only towards his beloved daughter did her uncle toss his dignity aside. "Now rise." Obeying the order given to him, the Prime Minister rose to his feet, but the quivering fear in his legs did not disappear. Both the Royal Advisor and the Prime Minister watched their liege walk to his desk and take a seat.

Saying nothing else, Mika watched as her uncle began going through papers before turning her head towards the Prime Minister. She knew he wanted to say more but also did not want to trigger their monarch's wrath again, which is why he threw in the towel and excused himself from the room. Left alone with her uncle, Mika knew she was taking a significant risk but could not remain silent.

"Uncle, you have to stop treating her like a little kid. She is a young adult, and it's time for her to start taking her duties as the successor to Lunaris seriously! What will this realm do if one day something happens to you?"

Instead of answering her, the ruler of Lunaris remained silent, something which caused his niece to be disappointed in him as she left the room. When he had the study to himself only then did the ruler of Lunaris pause his work. The heavy load of duties bearing down his shoulders caused him to miss his youth.

He reminisced about times when he was filled with passion and vigor. "Ah, those were the good times," he said before a gasp of pain had him clutching at his chest.

Quickly, he pulled open the cabinet located at the bottom of his desk and pulled out a clear vial filled with white medical pills prescribed by the royal pharmacist. Once Luna's father popped two pills into his mouth, the pain stopped, and his breathing returned to normal.

"I can't die. Especially not now," Luna's father muttered to himself, unaware that a pair of eyes oversaw this little scene. Swiftly they snatched their gaze away from the crack in the door and left.


	3. Celebration of Diana

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Luna randomly finds herself on stage in a pretty dress: Wait! What am I'm doing up here? Shouldn't Kei-Kei appear first?
> 
> Right on cute a tired chubby girl wearing glasses with bags under her eyes appeared: "Yo! Sorry, I'm late everyone! Got a little sidetracked looking up fashion pictures on Pinterest and re-watching Winx Club. Just started Season 2! Also, I'm looking for anime recommendations to watch! Okay, Luna do the intro! I'm getting ice-cream~!
> 
> Luna: Hieee! Umm, is everyone ready for a new chapter of POL? If so, please kick back, grab a snack, and enjoy another exciting chapter of Princess of Lunaris~!

On the next day, the city streets of the capital, Selene, were lively. Everyone wore a smile on their face as the restaurants and food carts were jammed with customers. Like in the olden time, before the inventors and scientists of Mirai advanced all technology throughout the Starry Galaxy, building things like movie theaters, people watched street plays.

With all the fun activity taking place outside, some entered competitions that offered rewards. The children giggled and played in the streets while throwing flower petals in the air. The beautifully dressed street-dancers performed to the festival music.

Luna slept peacefully in her chambers inside the palace, dreaming about stuffing her mouth with different pastries when she felt her body be submerged in a tub full of hot water. She shot her straight awake as the smell of coconut invaded her nose.

"What's going on?!" screeched the princess, spitting out water that had gotten into her mouth.

"Princess, you must undergo preparations to get ready for the festival!" said a pretty maid with big round eyes. Standing by the door, she allowed many more maids to follow her into the room. The group personally began bathing the princess, who pleaded that she could wash her own body.

"Princess, this was an order from the Royal Advisor to make you presentable!" said the calm voice of a different maid, this one with glasses and blue-hair worn in a side ponytail. She poured a bottle of vanilla-scented shampoo in Luna's hair.

"Lily, what type of hairstyle should we give the princess? Her regular style or something elaborate? You know, more trendy?" a third, excited maid with straight black hair and a pretty delicate face asked while scrubbing Luna's arm.

"We are already behind schedule, so her regular hairstyle will have to do. Now, shush and concentrate on bathing the princess. The Royal Designer will be here soon with the princess's dress," lightly scolded the maid who was working on Luna's hair.

"Lily, the jewelry for the princess has arrived, and the Royal Designer is about to throw a tantrum and is demanding the princess's presence." Delivering this message was a fourth maid who stuck her head into the room. Once her body was clean and smelling like coconut and vanilla, Luna found herself in a white fluffy robe and was presented before Madame Dia, who stood there proudly, ready to show off his newest creation.

"After a short amount of time, thirty-five coffee breaks, and an episode of _**The Glamorous and the Beautiful**_ \--by the way, fantastic drama! Totally team Edward--my newest creation is complete~!" After a dramatic pause, Madame Dia stepped aside as Keke removed the veil off the mannequin, thus issuing forth a word of praise from every maid in the room, including Luna, who gasped. 

Madame Dia's heart swelled with pride from their reactions.

"Those eyes and sparkling expressions are what I live for! Now, princess, let's get you dressed~!" The maids roughly handled Luna after a clap of Madame Dia's hands. The poor girl felt tossed and turned in every direction as if she was a ragdoll.

_'How does it take three hours just to get ready?'_ Luna exhaustingly asked herself after three hours of pure torture. The maids were currently in the middle of putting on the finishing touches when they finally spun her towards the full-body mirror.

"Wow, princess, you're practically dazzling~!" blushed the pretty brunette maid from before.

Luna agreed with this praise from one of the maids, unable to believe that the girl in the mirror was herself. "Is this me?" Luna skeptically asked herself as she always considered herself normal when it came to appearance, nothing compared to her cousin Mika, or even her other cousin, CeCe. 

"I can't believe this is me." Astounded by her reflection, Luna was an introvert who spent most of her time in her room, not shopping or making herself look pretty.

There were only a few times Luna had dressed up, and those were the special events she had to attend back when she lived on Solis, and she was forced to by her mother—seeing as large public events had always made Luna nervous. Luckily she didn't have to attend too many on Lunaris as Luna's father never forced it upon her unless it was essential.

The girl in the mirror was dolled up and adorned in fine amethyst jewelry. The dress she wore was short and airy, and in the royal colors of Lunaris, which were lavender and silver. Madame Dia adorned the bodice in silver ornate jewels and purple crystal gems that shimmered when the light hit them.

A large butterfly-shaped tulle bow was placed on the lower back of the dress, its long sparkling tails dragging across the floor. The maids kept Luna's usual hairstyle, puffball pigtails, but a pretty silver tiara decorated with pearls and an amethyst gem in the center was placed upon her head.

"Now, princess, you must go and be with your father for the opening ceremony. Now go, quickly escort the princess to her father's chambers!" ordered Madame Dia. Pushing Luna out of the room, the maids rushed her to her father's chambers.

Once the door leading to her father's chambers was open, the maids pushed Luna inside. She saw her father, ruler of Lunaris, standing in the center of his room looking sharp and regal in his white royal festival suit with silver ornamental moon designs on the lapel.

With his suit, he wore a lavender color tie. Draped proudly over his shoulder was a dark violet cape, the inside dotted with stars as if one was staring at a starry galaxy. His lavender hair and beard, which had turned silverish from age, were neatly combed and styled for this grand occasion. Staring at his reflection in the mirror with a serious expression, a series of coughs caught him off guard.

Rushing over to his side, Luna worriedly asked if he was okay, to which he replied, "I'm fine; don't worry about me. It's just a cold, but look at you! Sweet Pea, you look stunning!" her father reassured her, making sure to hide his blood stained hand as Luna blushed from her father's praise and felt bashful.

"Thanks, Dad, you also look sharp!" Luna was too busy staring at the ground to see her father wiping his hand, quickly discarding the evidence.

"Don't I always?" Straightening his jacket, the Ruler of Lunaris cockily struck a pose that got a laugh out of his daughter. "Now, let's go and greet the guests! We're on a schedule, and I don't want Mika on my case." Luna found it funny that her father detested Mika's nagging.

Sticking close to her father's side, the two traveled through the corridors of the palace. Floating majestically and radiantly at the core of the capital of Lunaris were the snowy white walls of the palace. From afar, citizens could see the orange light sparkling from the castle rooms as a sparkle of blue light beamed from skyscraper towers stationed with knights in white uniforms. They were on high alert, just in case anything happened.

Stepping out onto the expansive white balcony that overlooked the entire imperial garden, clutching her father's arms, Luna could see the dazzling sight of nobles dressed in their exquisite clothes. Each one had an air of sophistication, conversing with each other while holding a glass of champagne in their hands as they stood or sat at tables. The massive garden itself was beautiful and in full bloom with lavender roses. Floating in random areas were glowing white lanterns as a joyous atmosphere covered the entire capital.

"Nobles of Lunaris and honored guests, today we celebrate Serenity, Lunaris' first ruler and the Great Star Divinus of the Moon. Without her leadership, Lunaris would not even exist, which is why we honor her on this day so that we will never forget her love and devotion to its people! So that we will live up to her expectations and keep her in our hearts. Now go and enjoy yourselves!"

He ended his short speech as the large crowd applauded him. Luna hid in his shadow from the beginning to the end, content with just watching her father be the ruler that Lunaris needed. Unlike her, who could not live up to her father's fame and rulership. Inside the royal ballroom, Luna could see nobles and dignitaries from different realms chatting with her father. Standing silently against the wall with no one to accompany her, Luna held a sparkling glass of champagne in her hand.

Bringing up the glass to take a sip, Luna saw how across from her stood Mika, who looked beautiful as ever in her royal purple dress that clung to each of her curves. A wall of handsome bachelors surrounded Mika, but the Royal Advisor of Lunaris appeared bored as each one was desperate to get a dance from her.

"That girl was born with a bright future from the minute she exited the womb. No one on this planet can measure up to her." Standing next to Luna was Madame Dia, looking stunning and fashionable as always, only this time he was wearing an over-elaborate sparkling pink dress with a large ribbon hat on his head.

"I know, right. Mika is beautiful, smart, and highly respected. Next to her, I'm nothing." Luna gloomily stared at her reflection in the half-empty champagne glass.

"Now, who told you to wallow in self-pity? Stop trying to compare yourself to Mika and just be you," said Madame Dia, snagging a glass of champagne for himself when he saw a waiter walking with a tray full.

"But there's nothing special about me. You heard the rumors people say about me." Unlike Mika, who was born special, Luna only had a princess's title to her name. There was nothing outstanding about her, so of course, people would ignore or dismiss her presence.

"And? Honey, ignore those people! I, and KeKe, know that you are a kind and sweet girl. You have a good heart, but you have to grow up. So stop being a caterpillar and blossom into the butterfly you're destined to be. No one is holding you back, my dear. Your life is in your own hands." Madame Dia said these words of wisdom before leaving Luna's side. Exiting the ballroom, and outside on the balcony, Luna thought over his words, only to remember the speech Mika once gave her.

"Ah, why does growing up have to be so hard? Things were much easier when I was a kid," sighed Luna, the twinkling stars of Lunaris reflecting in her eyes. "Sometimes, I wish I was born a commoner rather than a princess. Being a royal is just too much work." Luna swallowed the last bit of her champagne and slumped over the rail of the balcony.

Luna was aware that many people had grand expectations for her, including her father, but why couldn't they just see that there was nothing special about her? Lost deep within her own thoughts, Luna was only brought back to reality when the voice of a man spoke.

"A statement I fully agree with you on." Standing back tall on her feet, the rich and seductive tone of his voice caused Luna's heart to skip a beat.


	4. Beautiful Encounter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Luna: Kei-Kei, why am I dressed in a red checker skirt, uniform top and blazer, and red checkered print leg warmers?
> 
> Ke-Kei: To see if the readers can guess who you are cosplaying as today! Now, do the intro!
> 
> Luna: Hop, Skip, and Jump your way to another exciting chapter of Princess of Lunaris! And if you love it, don't forget to support this story~!

A pair of footsteps appeared from out of the shadows, and Luna felt her entire face flush red. Now, Luna had seen numerous handsome men, a majority being young aristocrats trying to court Mika, yet the man standing before her was incredibly beautiful and attractive. Luna was shocked that such a man could even exist in this plane of reality.

A man of his caliber belonged only in myths and legends, yet here he was standing right before her very eyes. A regal black suit covered his sleek figure, which towered over Luna like a mountain, who had to tilt her head back to get a glimpse at his face. But the longer she looked at his face, the crazier her heart got.

Long silverish-white hair, which shimmered like moonlight, poured straight down the man's broad back and slender waist. Each strand was slicked back, and not a portion was falling out of place. A small section alluringly fell over his left shoulder blade. 

The complexion of his skin was a rich and faultless olive color. Thin lips cocked into a smirk; icy-blue eyes, framed by thick black eyelashes, twinkled with amusement as he stared down at her.

"Umm, who are you?" Luna had to fight to get her heart under control, forcing herself not to be charmed by the man's divine attractiveness. But it seemed Luna's question only amplified the man's amusement.

"Isn't this a first, a woman who does not know of me? My second biggest surprise of the day." Walking towards her, the man crossed the distance that separated them. Luna wanted to take a step back, only to almost trip over her heels as a strong, firm arm reached out and caught her.

"Little one, are you trying to charm me--" A strong tug pulled her towards the man's muscular chest. The musky scent of his cologne invaded Luna's nose, who found the smell relaxing and not too overly strong. 

Only to have her attention pulled away when a large hand reached out, slender fingers gently gripped her chin. Luna found herself staring up into his eyes, gaze so piercing that it felt like he could stare inside her soul.

"... Or are you extremely clumsy? Hmm, I'm very invested to hear what you have to say for yourself." There was a sweet glow of warmth in the man's eyes as he stared down at Luna. He simply wanted to tease the girl who dared to awake his other side and cause him to react so strongly.

_'I only came out here to get a breath of fresh air! How did I stumble into a cliché romance scene that I only read about in novels? What to expect next? That the jealous rival of the female lead will soon appear to start trouble?'_

Luna sarcastically said to herself as she was a huge fan of romance novels, but she never wanted to be in the female lead's place. Being the female lead was a troublesome task that did not fit Luna's character.

Luna was okay with just being a side-character, watching things play out from a distance, but here she was, standing out on the balcony with the world's most beautiful stranger, caught up in his arms as they stared dreamily into each other's eyes. 

Butterflies erupted in Luna's stomach, praying that her earlier statement didn't jinx herself, and felt that her hopes were answered when the lights in the ballroom dimmed. The guests inside panicked but quickly turned confused when the sound of music began to play.

On cue, from the second floor of the ballroom, a beacon of light shined down on the female figure stationed at the top of the terrace. There stood a girl on top of a sparkling white miniature stage that hovered in the air. "To honor the celebration of Lunaris' Great Star Divinus-Serenity, I, Lunaris' beloved star, have decided to put on a concert. So sit back and enjoy the show~!"

Drawing every person's attention in the room, who, once they recognized her, immediately got excited, stood a girl with flawless bronze skin. Her silky strands of dark lavender hair were styled in loosely-curled pigtails that reached past her waist.

A tiny mole rested under her right eye. Those who rested their eyes upon her were immediately charmed by the girl's impeccable looks. The beat soon dropped and instantly transformed the once elegant and poised ballroom into a pop concert.

A roar of excitement broke out amongst the young noble maidens and gentlemen, as Luna could do nothing but sweatdrop at the girl's dramatic entrance, who, by the way, was her second cousin on her father's side. "Flashy as always I see..." Luna murmured to herself, unaware that she was overheard by the mysterious gentleman still holding onto her in his arms.

The girl who made the announcement, dolled in a flashy, pop-star outfit, was named, CeCe. Lunaris' beloved rising pop-star claimed to have a voice that could rival the mermaids and muses. But there was one problem, and that was that Luna did not like CeCe, and the same went vice versa. CeCe was a bully who always craved the spotlight. Not afraid to use any tactic possible to get rid of those who threatened her glory.

The upbeat music instantly got people to their feet. Gripping the diamond-studded mic in her hand, CeCe began to sing. Despite the bad blood between the two, Luna had to admit that CeCe's voice was something out of this world. Her rich voice floated outside, causing the young generation of aristocrats to fall under the spell of her music as they tried to rush inside the ballroom.

From the spiral staircase that branched out from the terrace, colorful holographams of CeCe danced and matched her choreography. When the stage floated into the air and down from the terrace. CeCe's performance continued as stars danced around her.

CeCe hit a high note for the song's climax, and the swirl of stars circled her. She exchanged her flashy pop-star outfit for a beautiful short sparkling dress. A radiant pair of fairy wings grew out of her back as her spectacular solo performance came to an end.

The crowd threw a loud sound of applause and praise towards CeCe, who basked in the glory. "Thank you! Thank you! And to show my love, I'll be donating a large fund of money to the Lil Dreamers charity! I love you, all-" In the middle of basking in her glory, CeCe paused and shot her eagle eyes across the ballroom and out on the balcony where she saw the faint shadow of a man.

His shadow was remarkably familiar to her due to her obsession with only one man in the Starry Galaxy. Squinting her eyes over the heads of thousands, CeCe was able to get a better outline of the gentleman standing next to someone out on the balcony.

"Kyaa~!" CeCe squealed and flew over to the balcony where Luna stood, jumping down from her stage. She rudely pushed Luna to the side, loosening her from Zain's arms.

"Oh my, what brings the second prince of Militum here to Lunaris? Perhaps you came to see me?" CeCe fluttered her eyelashes and smiled prettily, trying to appear flirtatious.

Rolling her eyes, knowing where this was heading, Luna decided to escape before CeCe noticed her presence. Luna did not know why, but for some reason, the other girl always had it out for her and wasted no time making Luna into a fool in front of others.

"Sorry, but I do not know you," Zain politely apologized. Luna walked around CeCe, escaping before the other could recognize her. Only to have a hand seize her wrist as it seemed the other person didn't want Luna to sneak away from him.

"Well, you can get to know me! Come, let's chat and dance!" CeCe launched herself onto Zain's strong arm, freeing Luna's wrist who made a dash out of there. Zain found CeCe's action displeasing, but masked it with a look of indifference. The second prince of Militum searched for the girl who caught his attention and was disappointed to see that she had managed to escape him.

_'Wonder when I'll see her again,'_ he wondered to himself, recalling how the girl's innocent eyes held no recollection of him, which was a first. As far as he knew, every girl in the Starry Galaxy knew of him, and if that wasn't all...

_'Can't believe that foolish superstition held up to the truth.'_ Zain referred to the side of himself that reacted strongly to the girl's presence as CeCe dragged him onto the ballroom floor. Images of Luna filled his head as part of him found the girl both charming and cute.

Luna rushed outside into the imperial garden where she found a place void of any people. She sat at the edge of the water fountain, wanting to escape and cool down her heart. Luna brushed her hand against the surface, causing ripples to form as she retracted her hand from the water and stared up at the starry midnight blue sky that covered all of Lunaris.

"Will I ever dare to grow out of my shell?" she asked to no one in particular, not expecting a voice to answer her back.

"Of course you will, sweetie." Hearing a voice appear out of nowhere and answer her plea, Luna jolted but immediately calmed down when her father took a seat next to her.

"Dad, what are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be talking to the dignitaries and allies?"

"Yes, but once I was unable to spot you anywhere, I got worried and came to look for you. Now, why are you out here moping?" Sensing her father's concern, Luna blurted the question that had been on her mind.

"Dad, do you personally believe that I'm holding myself back?" Swinging her legs back and forth, Luna stared down at her glass heeled shoes.

"Yes, I believe that! Sweetie, though you may not see it, you have potential inside of you! So much of it, but your fears of the outside world. Not to mention your duties as heir to the throne are why you lock yourself inside the palace. Now yes, I may have indulged you a bit too much, but never will I hold you back if you set your mind on something. Because, sweetie, I will always have your back, you understand me?"

Luna's father reassured his daughter, pulling her into a tight hug as those words planted a seed of hope inside her. His encouraging words empowered Luna that maybe it was time for her to stop fearing the world and the duties her position held.

"Thanks, Dad, you're the best!" smiled Luna, thankful for having such a wonderful father who deeply cared for her.

"I'll always be here when you need me, sweetie." The Ruler of Lunaris planted a kiss on his daughter's forehead.

Breaking apart from each other, Luna was ready to head back inside the ballroom escorted by her father when something in the sky caused all the color to drain from her face as she pointed and shouted, "Dad! Look at the sky! What is that?!" She cried in alarm as her father turned to look in the direction where she pointed.

Eyes glued to the sky, the ruler of Lunaris saw a massive pitch-black cloud surfacing, getting closer to the castle. A young man, sporting the all-white uniform that marked him as a knight of Lunaris, rushed to her father's side and delivered an urgent message.

"My liege, an ominous black cloud is covering the capital of Lunaris! The Great Seer says the cloud bears danger to Lunaris!" The Great Seer hears the voice of the Holy Mother, creator of all life in the Starry Galaxy.

"If she has spoken, then we must quickly gather the troops and get the people to safety! Here, take my daughter to the shelter room!" commanded not Luna's father but the ruler of Lunaris, voice laced with urgency. Luna found everything happening at a speed that left her unable to comprehend the situation around her.

"Dad! What's happening!?" Not thinking straight, heart filled with panic, Luna latched onto her father's arm. Knights spread all over the palace and began guiding people inside. Seeing the fright in her eyes, Luna's father tried to reassure his daughter with a few kind words.

"Honey, everything will be okay! It's probably just bad weather!" joked her father.

"Dad, I'm standing right here! The Great Seer says danger is coming and that means, whatever it is, you'll have to go out there and fight it!" Tears clouded Luna's eyes, making her vision blurry, but she couldn't rub them thanks to the pair of contacts Madame Dia forced her to wear.

"My Lil star, listen to me! Daddy will be fine! I'm a warrior, but more than that, I'm the ruler of Lunaris. So I must stay and defend my people. Understand? So go! Nothing will happen to Dad!" Luna's father pushed her towards the knights' direction, finding it hard to look into his daughter's hopeful pair of eyes.

"Do you promise?" softly pleaded Luna. Her father paused, unable to meet his daughter's eyes as he forced himself to say,

"Yes, I promise, now go! Get the princess to safety now!" Her father hastily ordered the knight to take her away. Reaching for her hand, the knight began to escort Luna to a safe room located deep within the palace. Throughout the whole way, Luna's eyes stayed on her father's figure.

_'Dad, please come back safe!'_ she prayed to the Holy Mother for her dad to come back safe just as lightning ripped through the sky.


	5. Invasion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Luna hops on stage and does a fancy spin and twirl, before posing and holding out a peace sign: In the name of love, peace, and all the sweets in the universe! Please check out the newest chapter of Tales of the Princess of Lunaris!
> 
> Kei-Kei walks out with burger and soda in her hands and looks towards the reader: You heard the girl, now read the story, and don't forget to vote!

The joyous and festive air that once covered the capital of Lunaris vanished when citizens spotted the massive, undefinable black cloud that covered the entire capital of Selene. Nobles, dignitaries, and allies standing in the imperial garden and on balconies widened their eyes with disbelief as they stared up at the sky.

"Oh, my word... What on earth is that?" a noblewoman in an elegant green dress called to question, voice laced with terror. 

Zain, who had been trying to find a polite excuse to get himself away from CeCe, made his way back out onto the balcony and narrowed his icy eyes towards the ominous black cloud. The sight of it brought forth the foreboding feeling of despair and malice as if it was the beginning of an end.

The shining beacon of light from the towers issued a loud siren. Knights dressed in white appeared inside the ballroom and outside the imperial garden, ushering people inside the palace. They ordered everyone to remain calm as they escorted them to a safe location, which brought forth nothing but alarm to the guests. Many began to question just what on earth was going on.

The massive cloud in the sky blocked all the stars hovering above the capital; nothing but darkness befell the streets. Fright rose from the citizens as heavy black rain fell from the sky and formed thick puddles on the ground.

Such heavy rainfall caused citizens to run for shelter while others stared curiously at the black rain that stained their clothes. Out on the streets, a maiden running for cover tripped and fell face-first onto the cold concrete ground. Wincing at the pain, the girl felt something tightly grab hold of her ankle and looked back to see what had caused her to fall.

A chill crawled up the maid's spine as the color drained from her face. Frightened eyes saw a black skeleton hand that came from the puddle, gripping her ankle. Black rain continued to fall and added to the puddle as a second arm soon appeared, followed by a head and a pair of evil crimson eyes. Such a horrible sight overwhelmed the terrified young woman as she tried to escape from the fully emerged black skeleton.

All around her, skeletons and beastly creatures arose from the black puddles. Malevolent dark energy cloaked their bodies. The skeleton's crimson eyes stared down at the frightened girl whose eyes were rimmed with tears. A cry of fear ready to escape her throat was cut short by a sword in the skeleton's hand. Slashing it down, the girl's blood soaked the streets, but it was soon absorbed by the sword the skeleton wielded in his hand.

The sword glowed a bright crimson color as the skeleton jaw clacked together in attempted laughter, as he felt his body empowered by the woman's blood. Such horrendous sights were happening all over the capital of Lunaris. People's petrifying screams rang out even as the knights of Lunaris bravely wielded their weapons to defend their people.

A nightmarish plague of beastly creatures and sword-wielding skeletons mercilessly slew anyone in their sights, painting the grounds of the capital with fresh blood before it was soon absorbed by them. Fear was evident in the streets that had turned into pure chaos. The knights stationed outside the palace to patrol the streets fought the horde with the best of their abilities, but even that proved to be a challenge.

Due to the magical barrier that covered the palace, no rain penetrated its shield, so the guests inside were oblivious to the mayhem of horror happening outside. Luna was being led to a private safe room, meant only for members of the royal family, located underneath the palace via access by a secret door located in the royal kitchen.

The door only opened for royal members, and it was enacted by reading the signature of their palm. The only ones who knew of this door were royal members and the Crescent Moon Knight Order, an order of knights whose loyalty lied solely to the ruler of Lunaris. Not only was their commitment unwavering, but their brave hearts and strong abilities placed them above the other orders.

Placing her hand on the door that shined in a faint bluish color, the door opened and she was led down a long staircase. "Don't worry, princess, the safe room is straight up ahead." The knight escorting Luna was a handsome man and looked around her age. His large hand kept a firm and steady grip on Luna's wrist as they soon reached yet another secret door that required Luna's palm signature.

Back inside the throne room, the ruler of Lunaris was donned in silver-white armor that covered him from the neck down. His mighty figure glowed gloriously in the light as he wielded a long and radiant turquoise blade that shined brighter than the stars of Lunaris. The sword was passed down from ruler to ruler, molded after the sword the Great Star Divinus Serenity once wielded in battle.

Crowded inside the throne room were knights from different fractions. The tension in the air was thick. Bursting through the doors, a frantic knight, whose forehead dripped with sweat, shouted with great alarm. "Evil monsters and skeletons are mercilessly tearing the streets apart! And that's not all! A massive black dragon has been scouted in the sky and is currently trying to break the palace barrier!" The knights stationed inside broke out into a murmur between themselves.

"Knights of Lunaris!" The room immediately became silent as the ruler of Lunaris stood tall and dignified. "Tonight, we must lay down our lives and protect our realm. Slay those treacherous beasts!" commanded Luna's father. The knights', who filled the throne, hearts swelled with pride and loyalty, ready to follow their righteous leader into battle.

"Ruler of Lunaris, I'm Zain, second prince of Militum."

Hearing a voice call out to him, Luna's father saw a beautiful boy with long silverish-white hair appearing before his army. "I know of you. Young man, you have earned quite a name for yourself. Speak! What do you have to say?" Luna's father addressed the young man.

"With your permission, I would be honored to join you in battle and give my assistance to Lunaris. After all, we are allies with one another." Zain bowed before the Ruler of Lunaris.

"Join if you wish! Let's see if those rumors will hold up to the truth! Knights of Lunaris, let's head to battle!" Ready to lead the charge, the knights rushed out the doors when a voice called out,

"Wait! My liege, I must speak with you!" urgently said Mika, whose presence surprised her uncle.

"Mika, what are you doing here?! Go and retreat with the others! You are not a warrior!"

"What I must say is important, and you will listen, or I'm not going anywhere!" Her stubbornness forced Luna's father to swallow his anger, signaling for his head-commander to take charge in his place. After knights poured out of the throne room, leaving only Mika and her uncle, the former opened her mouth to speak.

"You can't think of going out and fighting in your condition!" Mika angrily admonished him, disregarding the fact that he was her monarch.

"Watch your tone. I'm still your ruler and uncle!" he swiftly admonished her.

"Excuse my tone, but uncle, I know of your condition! I spoke to the royal physician and forced him to tell me about what was going on with you after seeing what happened when you thought I left your study. Uncle, I know you caught {Larkspur}. Your body is practically deteriorating. You know, {Larkspur} is still impossible to cure. Doctors have only found a way to slow down its effects! If you go out there--" Mika's voice began to crack; tears blurred her eyes. She was not optimistic about the outcome this battle would have on her uncle.

"A coffin will be what awaits you! And Lunaris can not have that! Your people still need you! Your family needs you! Luna, the star of your world, can not lose her father! Please, I'm begging you, don't go out there!" Never had Mika begged for anything with her entire heart. The tears she shed plunged her uncle's heart into sorrow.

"Mika, you know I can not do that. Even if what awaits me is a coffin, I must defend my people. What ruler would I be if I cower and forsake them? Now go, if the battle turns dire, we'll need assistance. I will need you to get the message that Lunaris is under attack to my wife. Tell her to bring reinforcements! Go! Move! The people can not wait!" Nodding her head, Mika ran out of the room, hoping this would not be the last order from her monarch.

"May the blessing of the Holy-Mother be with you, my child. Lunaris will now rest on your shoulders until _she_ is ready." With one last heartful mutter, the ruler of Lunaris stared at his throne before rushing to join his knights in battle.


	6. The Black Dragon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Luna: Kei-Kei are you okay? You seem kinda down.
> 
> Kei-Kei Yuki: Yeah, just started a new part-time job, and growing up sucks! I missed being a kid!
> 
> Luna: Hang in there Kei-Kei and welcome everyone to another exciting chapter of Princess of Lunaris! Remember if you love the story, please show by voting and supporting POL! Enjoy the chapter~!

Clenching his blade, the ruler of Lunaris ran out of the throne room. But just as he stepped foot outside, a roar shook the sky, and knights yelled out in alarm, covering the palace's extensive front area. The barrier which surrounded the palace now had a large hole. A small shower of black rain poured inside, staining the palace's peerless white ground. Puddles formed that allowed skeletons and beastly creatures to run rampage as the knights began fighting against the horde.

The one who cracked the hole was the dragon soaring through the sky, flapping its jet-black wings. Gray-white hair attached to its head blew ominously and wildly in the wind. Opening its mouth, the dragon released a roar of red flames that disintegrated everything it touched. Its figure blended into the blackness of the night as it soared in the sky, bringing forth the haunting image of a reaper.

The dragon swooped through the hole and landed on the palace's milky white bridge connecting to the front of the palace and the entrance gate. Marching through the crowd, the ruler of Lunaris laid eyes on the beast whose crimson eyes glinted with mirth as a deep rumbling chuckle escaped the dragon's smokey mouth.

"So, you are Serenity's current descendant?" spoke the dragon in a deep voice.

"Speak, beast, from what realm do you come from? Why have you brought great destruction to my realm?!" demanded the ruler of Lunaris. Anger clouded his dark gray eyes; he was furious at the sight of his realm under attack. 

The citizens of Lunaris were under his protection; it was his job to keep the peace and tranquility that Lunaris had grown comfortable experiencing after the war of the titans finally came to an end. Yet this was now broken by a siege of monsters, who, from the darkness of the clouds, unleashed horror upon the innocents! Such merciless blood-shedding, Luna's father hadn't seen since he was a young warrior on the front lines of the battlefield.

"I am a creation of my master. I obey his every command. It was he who sent a small army of his creations to this realm and ordered me to deliver his message to the descendant of that vile woman, Serenity." The dragon proudly spoke of this so-called master of his while his voice held disgust towards Serenity.

"Well, here I stand! Speak! What is your master's message?" demanded Luna's father. He was the type to never run away, even in the face of unspeakable danger.

"Eons have passed, and my master has not forgotten the unforgivable deed your ancestor did to him. Of how it was that treacherous woman who sealed the gate and locked him forever on Tartaros!" The dragon sneered, unfathomable anger laced within his crimson eyes.

"Tartaros?" Luna's father repeated the name, wondering why it sounded so familiar, when a shock of disbelief flashed through his eyes. "I only know of one horrendous being who resides there, but that realm has been sealed off for centuries!"

Luna's father only knew of one being the dragon could be referencing, and it was a name he hadn't heard since he was a child. A name mentioned when the Starry Galaxy first faced a great peril eons ago, and if it weren't for the combined efforts of the five Great Star Divinuses, the Starry Galaxy would have perished.

"True, but luck struck when a scout reported to my master that there was a crack in the seal. Meaning only one thing, the seal your great ancestor placed is weakening, and soon the gate which seals all of Tartaros will be no more. Once he is free, all life in the Starry Galaxy shall taste his wrath! Starting first with the descendant of Serenity!"

A swirling mass of red flames was released yet again, shooting straight at Luna's father. The knights around him cried out to their leader and began launching attacks towards the beast. He used his sword to shield himself from the blast as his army of knights fought to defend themselves from the vicious attacks caused by the black beastly creatures and skeletons.

Unable to assist their ruler, they worriedly called out to him, only for him to order, "Do not worry about me! Just protect Lunaris!"

Obeying their monarch's command, the knights concentrated on slaying the evil creatures, keeping them away from invading any further inward. Luna's father was having a hard time defending himself from the dragon's flames when an arrow soared through the sky. It would have headed straight for the dragon if the beast hadn't spread out its wing, blocking the weapon.

"Huh, so this won't be as easy as I hoped." Standing on top of one of the palace towers was Zain, holding a beautifully crafted, bow and arrow that looked as if it was forged from ice crystals as the weapon gave off icy blue colors that sparkled like snowflakes.

"I would advise you from going full convergence. Don't forget your body is still healing from the injuries you suffered on your last mission." On Zain's right ear glowed a dangling, snowy blue diamond earring. From it spoke a magnetizing voice of a woman who could make any heart fall under her charm.

"I know that, but I have to at least do something. Besides, you know sitting on the sidelines watching danger happen is unlike me."

"One of the traits I both love and hate about you, but despite your flaws, your breathtaking looks is why I bestowed my magic upon you." One could detect a hint of mirth in the woman's voice.

"Hmph, and here I thought that out of the thousands who lost their lives trying to conquer your dungeon, only I prevailed which made me worthy in your eyes," said Zain, descending his way down the tower as the woman’s bell-like laughter echoed.

Back on the ground, Luna's father lunged at the dragon with his sword, only to dodge a swipe from the dragon's clawed hand. He leapt away before he could get caught in the dragon's clutches and be squeezed to death. The ruler of Lunaris was trying to come up with a plan on how to handle the dragon when a set of footsteps softly touched the ground next to him.

"I do hope you have a plan for how we can take down this creature." Luna's father turned his head and saw that the voice belonged to the second prince of Militum. The young man stood there, holding a bow and arrow in his hand, eyes on the dragon standing before them.

"Shouldn't that be the younger generation's job? 'Cause sadly, I got nothing," chuckled Luna's father, sensing magic coursing through the boy's body, magic that definitely did not belong to him.

"Was really hoping for a different answer. So attack it with everything we got and hope that works?" Zain raised up his bow and arrow and got ready to aim at the dragon. 

"That's the plan." The ruler of Lunaris gripped his sword, forcing down a cough as he felt blood rushing up his throat, but refused to show his weakness right here and now. 

"Oh, right then." Weapon in hand, Zain released a batch of ice arrows at the dragon. Luna's father charged forth, jumping high into the air, sword raised right above the creature's head.

Inside a large room, occupied with only a table and chair, the young man ordered to guard the princess stared solemnly at the young woman who sat at the table. Her hands were clenched together, desperately praying to the Holy Mother for this kingdom’s ruler, the same man who was her father, to return back safely.


	7. All Things Must Come to an End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kei-Kei Yuki: Buckle your seat everyone, cause another chapter of Princess of Lunaris is coming your way~!
> 
> Luna: Please enjoy, and don't forget to support~!

Luna's father charged forth and leaped high into the air. His sword was raised right above the creature's head. "Pathetic," said the dragon, who unleashed a wave of negative energy. This negative energy wave took the form of tiny red orbs, protecting the dragon in a dome formation.

Instead of his sword clashing against the dragon's head, the sword clashed against one of the orbs. The orb blinked red before detonating. The blast sent Luna's father flying to the ground, where he crashed beside Zain. The boy shot ice arrows that did nothing but cause the orbs to detonate and then reform.

Smirking at their foolish attempts of harming him, the dragon let out a mighty roar as the orbs scattered and shot towards the palace. Luna's father's eyes widened with horror as he got back on his feet and realized the damage those orbs, that numbered over a hundred, could do to the palace.

He knew he had to protect the people inside.

Not only them, but those who were suffering on the streets needed his help. This was his realm, and as ruler, he must do everything he can to protect it! Stabbing the blade of his sword straight into the ground, he closed his eyes and chanted a spell.

"Calling forth all the stars of Lunaris, those of my ancestors, please bestow upon me your strength! Bask me in your light and help vanquish the darkness!" recited Luna's father.

The imperial white armor which covered him emitted a bright luster of light. From the darkness of the clouds, rays of light broke through and shined down like beacons of hope. The people and the knights, exhausted from battle, felt relief flood their hearts as these rays of light vanquished the creatures into the dust.

Light also poured through the hole created in the barrier and vanquished the beasts standing on the palace grounds. A shield of light covered the palace and protected it from the exploding orbs. Seeing this, the dragon yelled out in fury.

"NOO!" Its eyes bled red. From his mouth, a huge roar of intense red flames shot straight at Luna's father.

The sword shielded the ruler of Lunaris from the dragon's flames. He was using all the strength he had to keep the spell going. When Zain, who was standing in the vicinity, noticed something that made him squint his eyes, and amongst the red flames clashing against the sword, he saw that a crack had started to appear on the blade.

"It seems that the sword has finally reached its end. Hmm, what's this? I'm sensing something trapped inside the blade," spoke the voice that came from Zain's earring, curiosity laced in her tone.

More flames continued to pour out of the dragon's mouth. Blood began to run down the sides of Luna's father's mouth. Thousands of tiny cracks started to appear on the blade of the sword. Just when the knights were about to jump in and help their ruler, the dragon ceased his attack all of a sudden.

"Hmm, so this is as far as I'll go today. My master is recalling me, but vengeance will be his one day." With those ominous parting words, the dragon spread its wings. A gust of wind swept the area as it shot straight into the air, disappearing from sight.

The spell, after defeating all of the nightmarish creatures, ceased its attack with the dragon now gone. The light which poured from Lunaris' ruler dimmed. Lines of heavy fatigue appeared on his face, causing him to appear as if he had aged and became older.

He fought to get his breathing under control, but instead, coughed up blood that spat on the ground. The ruler of Lunaris lost all the feeling in his muscles just as a long crack ran straight down the sword and caused the entire blade to shatter.

The knights of Lunaris could only watch in horror as Lunaris' greatest weapon shattered into fragments and their ruler collapsed on the ground. On cue, the knights ran to aid their ruler, screaming out orders as they helped get him inside.

Standing out of the way while the knights urgently attended to their ruler, only Zain saw how after the blade shattered into pieces, a tiny purple ball of light escaped and flew off to somewhere unknown. "So that's the secret behind Lunaris' greatest weapon." The womanly voice from Zain's earring sounded amused.

Minutes had passed, and Luna was still in the safe room when the knight stationed to watch over her received a message from the earpiece in his ear. Luna's attention was drawn to his face when she saw it marred with shock. Luna's instincts immediately told her something terrible had happened as the knight shot his eyes her way and said, "Princess, this is urgent! Your father is requesting your presence!"

Rushing to her feet, Luna didn't wait for the knight to escort her as she ran out the door. Luna dashed through the maze-like corridors of the palace. Finally reaching the hall that led to her father's chambers, she rushed right past the mystery man she met on the balcony and pushed straight through the doors.

Inside the room, she spotted her cousin, the Prime Minister, and the Royal Physician, all wearing forlorn expressions. Buried under the kelt of his covers laid her father. "Dad!" Rushing to his side, Luna held her father's hands, staring at his face, which she noticed was marred with wrinkles for the first time, and became confused why her father looked so sick and pale.

Luna could detect no sign of his regular strength, watching how his chest was rising unevenly as even breathing seemed difficult for him.

"There's my sweet girl. Dad wanted to see you one last time before departing from this world," said her father, his voice hoarse. He was hardly able to form a smile on his face, nevertheless speak, but still, he tried to address his daughter warmly, whose world was shattered by these words.


	8. Despair

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Please play this video link while reading this chapter! Thank-you~!*
> 
> Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Vk13qIICpI

"Departing?! Dad, what are you talking about? You're strong and healthy! You can make it through this!" Luna's legs weakened, dropping down to her knees beside her father's bed.

"No, sweetie, my health has been failing me for a long time, but now it has finally caught up with me." Luna's father stared weakly at his daughter and felt his heart break at the sight of his sweet lil-star in tears.

"Dad, I don't understand! You always appeared vigorous and full of strength whenever I saw you!" cried Luna. None of this was making sense to her. Just a moment ago all was fine, so how come all of this was happening?! Seeing confusion laced within the princess's eyes as she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown, the Royal Physician spoke up.

"Princess, a couple of years ago, your father was diagnosed with **{** Larkspur **}** , and as you know, **{** Larkspur **}** is still marked as incurable. Doctors across the Starry Galaxy have only found a way to slow it down. The pills I prescribed your father did just that, and as long he never overexerted himself, he should've been fine, but he overdid it, which sped up the disease. There's no hope left for him. I examined his body and estimated that he only has a few minutes left."

Such grave news shook Luna to her core. At a loss for why her father would keep such a huge secret from her, Luna felt her throat tighten, and her knees quivered. A hand clutched her chest. Pain gripped her heart.

"I didn't want to worry you, your brother, and especially your mother. Who will no doubt be upset with me by the time she comes here. Luckily, I don't want to be around to face her wrath." Luna's father tried to lighten the mood with a joke, but no one could find the humor to laugh.

Squeezing his daughter's hand, Luna's father knew he had reached the end of his journey, but before he departed, he wanted to leave his daughter with a few last encouraging words. "My lil-star, it seems your father will no longer be here to protect you from the world. It's time to grow up and face the harsh winds of reality, but remember, you'll never be on your own. You still have your mother and brother, and I will always live inside your heart, but you must go and live your life now. I know it's scary, sweetie. But I believe in you."

For the first time, except for the day Luna was born, the mighty and proud ruler of Lunaris felt his vision blur with tears. A part of him wasn't quite ready to part from this world; there was still so much he wanted to do and see. One of those things was seeing all of the greatness his daughter would one day achieve.

Yes, his lil-star was timid and had her own share of flaws, but he could sense a world of greatness resting deep inside of her. He called it instinct, but he knew she would one day be a star that shined brighter than all the stars in the Starry Galaxy. A star he could now only guide and protect from high above.

"Dad, I'm not ready to let go! I still need you! Please don't leave me alone!" Luna felt her heart breaking into pieces, salty tears constantly blurring her vision.

"I always ... will... be by your side, but the Holy-Mother is calling me home now... I see the foreshadows of my ancestors waiting for me to join their side, including my mother. Ah, it's been a long time since I last saw her."

Voice growing weak, his eyes pointed on someone beyond the distance of the Starry Galaxy realm. Luna's father's spirit left this plane of existence and joined his ancestors who had long awaited him to be by their side as his mother, Lunaris' last ruler before he took the throne, warmly welcomed her son into her arms.

"Welcome home, son," she softly whispered into his ear.

Seeing the light fade from her father's eyes, Luna instantly panicked. "Dad?! Daddy?! DAD! COME ON! PLEASE OPEN YOUR EYES! I'll be good! I promise to do better. I'll do anything, but don't leave me! Don't go!!!!" begged and cried a hysterical Luna. She wasn't ready to lose her father! She still needed him! She wasn't prepared to face this cruel world without him yet!

The princess's sorrowful cries echoed past the door, entering the ears of Zain, who, for the first time in his life, wanted to reach out and comfort the tears of a woman who wasn't his mother. Despite how much his other side screamed to comfort that voice that held so much pain, he only stared at the door one last time before taking his leave.

"Come here, Luna." Forgetting her professional mask as Royal Advisor, Mika pulled the crying princess into her arms.

Though the Prime Minister did not consider the princess a worthy heir to the throne, his heart did go out for her. The love between father and daughter was strong. Everyone in the palace was aware of it as there was only one gem their deceased ruler held precious and that was the princess.

Checking the king's pulse one last time, the royal physician, with a grave nod of his head, signaled that the ruler of Lunaris had passed. Which wrenched a heartfelt wail from Luna. "NOO!!!" Luna screamed and almost fell to the ground, if not for Mika holding onto her as tears of anguish fell down her bronze cheeks.

Mika could only silently cry and tighten her arms around her younger cousin. She, too, felt deeply saddened by the loss of her uncle and monarch, watching with a heavy heart as the Royal Physician told them it was best to make funeral arrangements soon.

Later that night, Luna curled into a ball on her bed, clutching an old stuffed bear with stitches in many places. It was the first gift her father had given to her when she was a child. Luna continued to weep as despair plunged into her heart. She wanted to believe that everything that happened was nothing but a nightmare, that when she'd wake up, everything would be back to normal.

Her dad, the one who protected and loved her like no other, could not be gone. Why did creatures suddenly attack her realm? Why did her dad have to catch **{** Larkspur **}**? Why was all of this happening to her?! It was cruel, unfair, and Luna wanted none of it! The one thing she wanted was now gone forever!

Lost in her own thoughts, Luna didn't notice a ball of purple light enter her room and land on top of her head, disappearing into one of her large puffballs. Luna cracked open her eyes when she heard her door creak open. Walking through the door, the imposing figure of a woman strutted inside the room.

Her figure was practically glowing, giving others the proud and majestic impression of a lion. Golden blonde strands of hair were slicked back at the front and styled into a crinkling wild mane that extended down her back. The golden bracelets on her arm jangled as this person caught Luna's attention, immediately recognizing the woman as she leaped off her bed and ran into the woman's open arms.

"M-Mom? Mom!!!" Luna threw herself into her mother's arms as she began to break down for a second time that day.

The woman, who shared a similarity to Luna in height and appearance, sighed and tightened her arms around her daughter. "It's okay, sweetie. Everything will be okay. Momma is here. I got you," gently consoled the ruler of Solis, Luna's mother, holding her grieving daughter in her arms.


	9. Mourning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please play the video link, while reading this chapter! Thank-you and enjoy~!
> 
> Link: https://youtu.be/Gi0pDMTx-jM

Two days after the announcement that Lunaris's proud and beloved ruler had passed, the citizens immediately began to mourn. Many were already grieving for the loss and damage they suffered from the attack. Standing inside the grand chapel was a female knight, whose attention was drawn when the same young knight who had guarded Luna during the invasion walked up to her side.

Cries of grief echoed from those who either lost a husband, wife, child, or friend; they grieved in remorse. It was a sad day. Lunaris, known for its beautiful starry skies, was covered with dark gray clouds and a downpour of rain.

"Never before has the royal chapel been filled with this many coffins," said the female knight as the young knight solemnly stared at the sight before him, which saddened his own heart. Clapping both of her hands together, the female knight silently prayed for those whose lives were lost during the invasion.

Inside the grand chapel, one hundred and thirty-five candles, representing the number of lives Lunaris lost during the invasion, were lit. On the same day, the ruler of Lunaris' body was cremated. Due to Lunaris' royal tradition, his body had to be cremated, burned using crystal embers, so his soul could join the stars of his ancestors.

When the third day rolled around, citizens who lived in the capital gave offerings of white lilies to his statue in the Temple of Rulers. The Temple of Rulers was dedicated to the rulers who had served Lunaris. Inside, stationed in a circle formation, stood many massive white statues. When a ruler perished, a statue of themself was constructed and placed in the temple as a sign of honor and gratitude for having given their life to Lunaris.

Meanwhile, standing on top of a hillside that overlooked the quiet ocean were the royal members of Lunaris along with Luna's mother and older brother. Although her father's blood did not run through her brother, Luna's father had proudly thought of him as a son.

Standing before them was the priest, who spoke a long and sincere monologue, praising her father for his worthy deeds. Yet Luna heard none of it as she stood there, dressed in her simple white gown as it was traditional for the royal family to wear white whenever a royal member had passed.

_'As I stared up to the sky, a star twinkled bright, and I asked myself, why did everything come to this?'_

_'Is this life somehow trying to punish me for not being a perfect royal?'_

_'Why? Why did I have to lose you!? Dad, I wasn't ready to say goodbye to you yet! I still haven't grown up and made you proud of me! Why did you keep such a huge secret from me and left like this?!'_

_'I have so many questions, yet you are not here to answer them for me. I couldn't even say... I love you towards the end.'_

The rest of the procession went by in a blur as Luna watched with empty eyes as the priest released her father's ashes into the wind. They drifted off into the stars high above where his soul now joined the ancestors of Lunaris.

After the procession ended, Luna spent the rest of the day curled in a ball on her bed. Luna's mother, the Ruler of Solis, spent most of her time in her daughter's room, trying to lend comfort to her daughter. The latter hadn't spoken a word since the funeral procession, which greatly worried the woman.

After resting a hand over her daughter's head, she bent down, kissed Luna's forehead, and left the room. Not knowing that right after she left, a twinkle of light glittered from Luna's puffball and flew out.

The purple ball of light hovered around Luna's sleeping head. "You suffer now, but I see that great potential rests inside you. Your future is bright, but the road you must walk is dreary. But as long as you have faith, you'll get through any obstacles," said a child-like voice that carried warmth towards the girl sleeping on the bed. The ball of light disappeared back inside Luna's hair.

Walking to take a breath of air, Luna's mother somehow found herself standing inside the grandiose throne room of Lunaris, running her eyes over the milky white walls and the painted glass ceiling which showed a brilliant illustration of a moon. Every inch of the massive hall was radiant and elegant as her eyes came to rest on the magisterial silver throne, encrusted with sapphire and amethyst gems. Yet the glorious throne of Lunaris did nothing but sting her eyes with tears.

"Oh, beloved, though we shared different views and opinions on many things, we shared a common ground. Remember when we were just two young kids with big inspiring dreams? We achieved those dreams, lived grandly, and gave birth to a beautiful daughter who has lost all meaning of joy without you." 

Her soft melancholy voice was gentle. A mournful sigh escaped her lips. She decided to stay on Lunaris to comfort her distraught daughter while her son had left to take care of some urgent business on Solis.

"Life without you here is going to be hard on her. Neither of us was ready to let you go just yet." Voice cracking, the proud and feared ruler of Solis' facade broke.

When she first met Luna's father, he was nothing more than Lunaris' proud heir and mightiest warrior yet to inherit the throne. As the cliche story goes, they met, fell in love, he took in and helped raise her son, who she had before their encounter, got married, and finally had a beautiful daughter.

Their lives were perfect, but sadly, perfect did not last, and the difficulties of them both being rulers caused them to go their separate ways. But despite their disagreements, even though their relationship had lost its love, there was still respect between them.

Despite his flaws, he was still a good man to his family, a great ruler to his citizens, but now he was gone. "How am I supposed to cope with this?" Voice weak and lacking its usual strength, Luna's mother dropped to her knees. Cries echoed throughout the desolated throne room.


	10. Trail

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Luna: Hey everyone, Kei-Kei is too tired from her new part-time job, so today it's only me doing the intro. So sit back, relax, and enjoy another chapter of POL! Remember, if your fan of POL please support it~!

Fast forward to the present, as days later, the Royal Council of Lunaris had called for a meeting and requested Luna's presence. The main reason for this meeting was to decide what to do with Luna and her title as heir. Traditionally, after a ruler died, their heir took the throne. Which in this case was Luna, yet there was one big problem.

"Princess, I believe you are aware of your tarnished reputation. Though you are the heir of Lunaris, we, the council, do not feel at ease with placing the leadership of Lunaris in your inexperienced hands," said one of the older men who was a member of the council and a relative of Luna’s, just like all members appointed on the council.

His words caused Luna's mother to narrow her golden eyes suspiciously at the man. Days had passed, yet the Ruler of Solis remained behind on Lunaris to cater to her daughter's needs as she went through this tough time. Luna's days passed by slowly as the meaning of life felt lost on her. Sometimes she would even ask herself if this was all a horrible nightmare, yet the council calling to meet with her woke Luna from that delusion.

Their piercing, judgemental stares stabbed through her skin. Their objection to her as heir and princess of Lunaris was displayed clearly in their eyes. To them, Luna was a disappointment who failed to live up to the honor and glory of Lunaris, an utter disgrace.

"Which is why we wish to present the princess with an ultimatum. As you know, the enrollment for Starlight University, the top prestigious college in the Starry Galaxy, opens up in a week from now. Not only must you attend, but during the four years of enrollment as a student, you must show significant improvement and graduate from there before we bestow you the throne. If the princess does not wish to comply, we sentence her to relinquish both her title as heir and princess of Lunaris!"

The grovel banged against the desk, sentencing Luna’s life. Her mother, outraged at the council’s decision, stood up from her chair and began arguing with her aunt, Mika's mother, the one who read Luna's ultimatum to her. The woman bore a remarkable similarity to her daughter.

_'Choice? What choice do I have! They would rather banish me than see me succeed. What am I supposed to do!?'_ Luna asked herself, only to hear a voice speak into her ear.

"You know what you need to do! Remember the words your father said to you! It's time to stop being afraid and bravely embrace your destiny. You can do it! I know you can!" said a cheerful and encouraging voice of a female child, bewildering Luna.

_'Wha the?! Who was that voice?!'_ Luna began searching the area yet saw no one. Mika's mother called forth her name, locked into an intense glaring contest with her mother.

"Ruler of Solis, after your divorce, you hold no power over this realm. So do not involve yourself in it. Princess Luna, do you accept or relinquish your rights?" Instantly all eyes in the room were drawn towards her, and Luna felt her palms become sweaty. She was nervous, scared, yet her mouth opened and moved on its own.

"I will accept the ultimatum and attend Starlight University." Luna's decision not only shocked herself, but even her mother and the council.

The latter jumped to the conclusion that the princess, who showed no strong ties to either of her titles, combined with her introverted nature, would have relinquished all rights. They would have expected her to be happy to get rid of her burden, yet instead, she accepted their request. After getting over her shock, Mika's mom seemed to have realized something and smirked.

"Alright, but remember, if you drop-out or fail to show improvement, the princess will automatically relinquish all rights. Until the princess is ready for the throne, Mika, the Royal Advisor, will take up the mantle of regnant. Dismiss!" After the meeting concluded, Luna sat on her bed, thinking to herself, "What on earth have I done?!" She clutched at her hair and yelled.

"How am I supposed to attend and graduate from Starlight University!? It’s the top prestigious school for royals and gifted individuals! It's official; I'm royally screwed!” lamented Luna, who mentally began to weep.

The academics at Starlight University were extremely high-level, even though it was easy for royals to attend without taking the entrance exam. Many of them dropped out before the second semester because the lessons they were taught were so advanced.

"Times like this, I wish I was one of those smart and intelligent transmigrator female lead characters I'm always reading about in novels." Laying flat on her bed, Luna began reminiscing over her favorite novel theme.

Turning to lie on her side, clutching a fluffy pink donut pillow to her chest, Luna groaned into it. "Even a reincarnator would be better than going in blind! I'm no savvy, highly-intelligent, drop-dead beauty that can instantly conquer all her fears!" Feeling herself getting angry, Luna sat up and tossed the pillow aside.

"Stupid council! They want me to fail! I'm only a princess in name, but no one truly respects me! Not only that, but where did that strange voice come from?! I swore I heard someone speaking to me!"

"What's this about a strange voice I hear?" As the woman entered her room, Luna was happy to see her mom.

Gracefully taking a seat on Luna's bed, her mother said, "Attending and graduating from Starlight University is like a right of passage for all royals. But to survive there, you must either have talent or smarts and, in a royal’s case, both." Immediately Luna got a whiff of her mother's perfume as its flora therapeutic aroma caused Luna's frustrations to disappear.

Leaning her head on her mother's shoulder, she said, "I hate the council."

Such a blunt response caused her mother to laugh and wrap an arm around her shoulder. "Can't say I disagree, but this is something you can not back out on now that you agreed to it. Do you think you can do it? Even if you relinquish your rights as princess and heir of Lunaris, you'll still be a princess of Solis, without the burden of heir on your shoulders anymore." Her mother tried to comfort her, and though her words were tempting, something inside of Luna refused.

"I'm not going to lie. A part of me is scared and is very tempted to run away from it all, but... I can't keep running away forever. I think it's time for me to finally start facing my fears, mom." Luna nervously fiddled with her sweater, eyes on the ground as her mother sighed and nodded her head.

"Okay, but remember, if things become too much of a burden, you have an option. "

"I know, mom, and thanks!"

"Anytime, sweetheart, but since enrollment starts a week from now, I think it best you start packing now. After all, you'll be living on campus, away from home! It would be best if you had all your necessities. Oh, how about we go shopping before you leave! We can even pick out new clothes!" Luna smiled as she listened to her mother excitedly ramble on about all the fun activities they could do together.

_'Thank you for still being here, mom.'_


	11. Departing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kei-Kei sitting at her writing desk, going over new story ideas. When a cloud of flying dust of air nearly blew her out of her desk.
> 
> Luna: Kei-Kei is it true?! A new character is being introduced?!
> 
> Kei-Kei: Shhh! No spoilers! Now do the intro!
> 
> Luna: Sorry about that! Everyone is a new and exciting chapter of the Princess of Lunaris! Hope you all enjoyed it and give your support~!

A week had passed, and Luna stood in her room. Her mind was in a daze as the maids raced around packing the last of her luggage. A part of herself was still trying to process the bizarre situation of her meeting with the royal council and how in just a few minutes, she'd be departing from Lunaris to attend Starlight University. 

"Oh great, my stomach is aching again," grimaced Luna as her nerves were skyrocketing through the roof. Thankfully, she was distracted by the doors of her room being thrown open and saw her mother, who, instead of her royal attire, walked in wearing a fabulous white suit. She ordered directions to the maids before she walked over to Luna’s side.

"Right after I drop you off at the airport, I must return to Solis and wrap up some business. One last time, I will ask, are you sure you want to go down this path?" asked Luna's mother. Once again, Luna's temptation tried to cloud her judgment, and running away seemed the better option. But a part of her knew that running away wasn't the right thing to do. 

"Yes, mom. Besides, I owe it to dad, who, despite how unfit I was as princess and heir, still believed in me, even towards the end. I can't let him down! I gotta at least try!" Luna's mother was taken back by the glimmer of determination that she saw a flash through her daughter's eyes and smiled. 

"Alright! I won't push you any farther! Now let's go, the plane to the realm of  Arcana takes off an hour from now!" Pulling her sunglasses down from her head, the ruler Solis made sure Luna had everything she needed before driving her to Lunaris’ airport. 

The location of the airport was northeast of the capital, where everything was more advanced and modernized. In her mother's sporty white car, Lune gazed out the window and saw tall skyscraper buildings and even the famous Twilight clocktower. The view which bypassed Luna's eyes held dozens of stores and restaurants. Not to mention the streets were packed with people and cars, and the flashy digital billboards advertised idols. 

This side of the capital contrasted deeply with the capital Luna was familiar with, not that she journeyed outside much. The only few times she ever went out was to go to the local bookstore to buy hardcovers of her favorite books in her attempt to support the author. There was also that lovely bakery right across the street from the bookstore that Luna liked visiting as that part of the capital's architecture was more authentic and less modernized. 

Arriving at the airport, discarding her luggage with the baggage handlers, Luna's mother escorted Luna to the exit terminal. "Alright! This is how far I go. Again, I don't know why you didn't take the royal private jet! You could've gotten there faster and in comfort." 

"Mom, I'm fine flying economy! Besides, flying private would only draw unwanted attention!" 

"Fine, but if you ever feel like you’re in a pinch, just give your brother or me a call. Remember, you still have us. Okay, now go and be a college student! I'm expecting a call from you once you are settled in!" Pulled into a tight hug by her mother, Luna felt teary-eyed, and despite the reluctance, pulled away. 

"Thanks, mom, for everything. I know I wasn't the best daughter, but I'm hoping to improve myself!" Luna recalled the reason why she came to live on Lunaris with her father.

Reaching out to wipe her daughter's tears, Luna's mother smiled. "The past is the past. You are a lovely daughter, a diamond in the eyes of both your father and me. A mothers' job is to be there when her child needs her most, and that's what I'm doing. Now go! I believe in you, Luna!" 

Wishing her daughter well, Solis's ruler watched as her daughter left to board the plane. "Your future is in your own hands now, my precious daughter." 

Making her way down the aisle, searching for her seat, Luna soon found it and saw a person sitting in the one next to it. The person in the chair was female and looked young, around the same age as herself. Not only were they of similar age, but the girl was very attractive. The girl had glowing brown skin and wore black baggy trousers paired with a green camouflage crop shirt. Her brown hair was slicked into a low ponytail as long curls of hair fell down her back and over her right shoulder blade.

Just as Luna's butt touched the chair, the girl removed her eyes from the window and set them onto Luna. "Seems I got a seatmate! The name’s Sasha and yours?" The friendly girl who introduced herself as Sasha smiled at Luna.

"H-Hi, I'm Luna!" Luna nervously greeted her back, nerves rattling as she introduced herself to a stranger.

"Let me guess, you're attending Starlight University too?" Sasha tried to start up a conversation with Luna.

"Umm, yes! How about you?" Twiddling with the long sleeves of her white blouse, worn over it was a simple and short orchid colored dress. Luna tried to force down her nerves and have a simple conversation with Sasha, who seemed friendly. 

"Yep! I somehow got in through a scholarship, unlike those of the upper-class who with one quick word from mommy and daddy, instantly they’re in." Sasha snapped her fingers, tone laced with sarcasm, and talked about the benefits those of the upper-class had. Luna couldn't help but feel a little guilty. 

Starlight University was a dream come true for those with awe-inspiring big aspirations, yet this dream was nearly impossible for those of the lower class. Luna only needed her mother to send in her registration form, and instantly, she was enrolled as a student, but things were much different for those of common birth. 

The only way a person of their status could step foot through the shining doors of Starlight University was if that person was exceptionally gifted or talented, which could earn them a scholarship. A task that only a limited number of people could achieve. 

_ 'Note to self, do not let Sasha know I'm a princess,' _ Luna mentally told herself, warming up to Sasha as the two talked during the plane ride. 


	12. First Day as Freshmen p.1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Luna drops down from the ceiling and showing herself in a Cardcaptor Sakura cosplay outfit: Really another cosplay outfit?
> 
> Kei-Kei stood in the background dress as Tomoyo, holding a video camera: Oh, hush and do the intro!
> 
> Luna: Is everyone ready for a new chapter of Princess of Lunaris? If so, sit back, grab a snack, and enjoy the chapter~!

The plane left the atmosphere of Lunaris, soaring across the vast canvas of purples, blues, and pinks space, clashing together and dotted with over a million tiny stars. Throughout the ride, Luna was engaged in a warm and friendly chat with Sasha as she got to know that the other girl's home realm was Ignis, the hottest planet in the Starry Galaxy.

The realm of Arcana existed in the center of the Starry Galaxy as people dubbed it the supreme capital. Arcana only had four entrance points connected to the four major realms, which included Lunaris. As Ignis existed in the same quadrant as Lunaris, Sasha had to take a plane to Lunaris first before getting on a second plane that would take her to Arcana.

After the long plane ride finally came to an end, the two girls exited the plane, and right next to the airport was a train station. Reading how one of the trains led directly to Starlight University, they bought tickets and boarded it. Once on the train, they saw how many of the other passengers were around their age. Luna took a guess and assumed most of them were students who were either returning or just freshly entering Starlight University.

Both Sasha and Luna took a seat, and the train left the station. Inside, Luna's theory was proved right as many of the other passengers chatted amongst each other, talking about their experience or anticipation towards enrolling at Starlight University. "Once I get enrolled, I'm going to have to find me a part-time job quick!" said Sasha, scrolling through her phone.

Luna's eyes were focused out the window, watching as the train passed by the luxurious view of the capital, before turning her curious gaze to Sasha. "Why? Don't you have a scholarship?" asked Luna.

"The scholarship only covers all my school necessities like supplies and the dorm. I'm still going to need food in my stomach and extra clothes to wear! Sadly, I wasn't born rich, meaning my mommy or daddy didn't give me a loaded credit card to spend lavishly." Such a sarcastic remark caused Luna to recall the exclusive Diamond Reserve credit-card her mother had given to her before driving her to the airport.

"What about you?" asked Sasha who assumed Luna was in the same boat as herself.

Throughout their short time of getting to know each other, Luna realized that Sasha didn't hold the highest opinions towards aristocrats and the wealthy. Seeing them as nothing more than "Arrogant rich people with no care for the world." Words Sasha had said as Luna tried to come up with a lie.

"Umm, I don't know! M-Maybe I'll look for a part-time job too?" Luna stuttered out a quick reply, hoping Sasha wouldn't catch on that she was lying.

"Cool! Maybe we can find a part-time job together?" smiled Sasha as Luna mentally released a breath of relief. Sasha was oblivious to the lie she just told. After a while, the train ride continued when an impressive view drew all of the passengers' attention. People were giggling and chatting excitedly with each other as they peered out the window, including Luna and Sasha.

"Wow! This is Starlight University?! It's the size of a small city!" Stretching out for miles, standing proud and majestic, was the bright golden walls of Starlight University. The campus layout was in the shape of a circle—a mixture of historical and advanced architecture. The air of the campus screamed prestigious and regal. A stream of water and a forest surrounded the campus.

The train took them straight towards the dome-shaped auditorium building, dropping off the students as guards came to collect the students' luggage. "Welcome new and returning students!" Standing there, greeting them with a smile on her face, was a cute girl whose clothes screamed preppy.

"Please allow the guards to escort your bags to the dorms. Once a key is distributed to each student, you will meet up with your bags again. Now please make your way inside the auditorium, and I hope you all enjoy your first day at Starlight University~!" smiled the girl as the students made their way inside the massive auditorium, eyes peering through the glass rooftop. The majority of the seats inside were occupied with students as this was the last batch of students to arrive.

Thirty minutes passed when heels clicking against the tiled stage floor echoed, and everyone sat up straight in their chairs. The woman walking to the podium looked young, yet her eyes displayed years of wisdom. 

"Welcome new and returning students of Starlight University! Hundreds of years ago, the brightest minds in the universe came together and built this school with the idea to teach those with great promise for the future. Starlight University offers extensive fields of study for students so that every last one of you can achieve your dreams and shine like the brightest stars." The woman's voice was loud and clear. She wore a polished and formal suit; raven locks of hair were pulled back into a tight bun.

The woman's, who Luna later found out was the university's headmistress, speech went on for an hour. At the end and with a snap of her fingers, white sheets of paper rain from the ceiling and into the students' hands. 

"That is your schedule, along with a map of campus. I hope every last one of you enjoys your first day as a student of Starlight University! Now, you have thirty minutes to get to class. If I were you, I would start running. This university does not tolerate tardiness, though, for freshmen, we will hold an exception, but only for the first week." The headmistress smirked while strutting away from the podium as students hurried to get out of the building.

Sasha and Luna were in the same boat, holding out their maps as they tried to find the room of their first class, but the massive layout of the buildings had them running all over the place until finally they found it. Though they were thirty minutes late, and this was the same for their first three classes of the day.

"This school is too damn big!" frustratingly yelled Sasha. Around noon, the girls were free of classes. Outside the cafeteria building was a nice seating area stationed with chairs and tables as Luna and Sasha, exhausted from the day, sat at one of them.

"I don't even know how we got through it all!" With her head laying face-first onto the table, Luna's voice came out muffled.

Sitting at the table next to them sat two gossiping girls, who let out a loud squeal that got both Sasha's and Luna's attention.

"Oh my god, it's him~!"


	13. First Day as Freshman p. 2

Following the direction of where the squealing was directed towards, both Luna and Sasha saw an attractive boy in fit shape. Messy raven locks of hair covered his head and shielded a part of his face. His style of dress was casual yet still very fashionable as he soon disappeared from out of sight.

"Oh my god! Do you know who that is?!" excitedly asked the girl in the green blouse.

"Nope, but man, he was hot~!" dreamily sighed the other girl in the dress, having hearts for eyes.

"That's Jian! He's best friends with the second prince of Militum, a.k.a the most beautiful man in the galaxy! Those two never stray far from each other, meaning Prince Zain is somewhere nearby! Kyaa~! To think we saw a member of the Royals~!" swooned the girl in the green blouse and glasses as her friend in the yellow dress curiously quirked an eyebrow.

"Royals? What do you mean by that?"

"Over a thousand something students attend Starlight University, but only a few stand out from the masses and are placed in cliques. Reigning at the top of the social status pyramid is the Royals. Just as this name implies, it's made up of heirs and nobles with royal blood who have made a name for themselves and are SU's crown jewels. Each member is very high-profile and dignified, not to mention intelligent, gifted, and highly attractive," explained the raven-haired girl.

Sitting a table away, listening to what the girl was saying, were Sasha and Luna. "After the Royals, you have your Nobles, sons and daughters of the most prestigious and wealthiest of the noble clans. Then there are the Idols. But to be a member of this group you have to be enrolled in the Performance Art major and have made a name for yourself in the entertainment world. This group does not care about nobility, only fame," explained the girl, taking a sip of her smoothie before continuing.

"Those are the major three groups with the most significant influence. The Coven is nothing more than a mean group of witches whose joy is terrorizing anyone weak and pathetic in their eyes. The Geniuses are your smart nerds, brilliant minds but tend to distance themselves from others who are not like them. And last but not least, you have the Outsiders, which is anyone who is not in any of the major cliques I just mentioned. Seriously, you gotta know these things if you wish to survive here." The raven-haired girl scolded her friend as the two got up to throw away their empty smoothie cups and leave for their next class.

Left behind to ponder on this new piece of information, Sasha was the first to say, "This school is so fudged up!" She literally took the words right out of Luna's mouth. Sasha and Luna's last class for today took place outside in an enormous arena. Students sat in the seating area, which was large enough to accommodate an incredible number of people.

Above the seating area were giant holographic screens that displayed the ring as students saw the close-up view of a burly redheaded man, and trailing behind him were two figures that stirred up a storm of reactions. The boys immediately sat up straight, trying to appear impressive while the girls were falling out of their seats, squealing and trying to doll themselves up.

"Who are they? Some big-time celebrities?" questioned Sasha as out of the three below, Luna only recognized one of them, and it was the beautiful boy who stood in the middle with long silver hair that shimmered like moonlight. His pair of icy-blue eyes stared impassively at the crowd of heart-eyed squealing girls as Luna was reminded of their moment on the balcony and how CeCe had announced him as the second prince of Militum, Zain.

Standing beside him was a girl with doll-like features and porcelain skin. Lustrous platinum blonde hair fell straight down to her waist. Her beauty was just as breathtaking as the man standing next to her. She showed off her slim figure in a classy but straightforward outfit, which consisted of a long-sleeved royal blue blouse and a short black skirt. The air the girl gave off was regal and dignified as her piercing sapphire blue eyes caused others to feel as if they were inferior when graced with her presence.

"Welcome to your first day of Combatant class. This course is designed to show you the ropes of battle and how to defend yourself. But before we can begin, each of you must first be placed in a class, and the best way to determine your class is by a friendly exhibition match. Here to help me figure out what class suits you best is last year's two top students, the second prince of Militum, Zain, and the princess of Rigel, Kira," said the burly redheaded man.

"Wait! That's Prince Zain and Princess Kira?!" exclaimed Sasha, nearly leaping out of her seat.

"You know them?" innocently asked Luna as Sasha whipped her head toward the shorter girl, an expression of incredulousness displayed on her face.

"How can you not know about them!? They're like super famous that even a village girl like me knows about them! That's Prince Zain, aka, the prodigy warrior prince, whose skills are unrivaled, not to mention his nickname is Dungeon Prince, Bearer of three Mysticals. While that girl next to him is the shining crown jewel princess of Rigel, who is spoken highly of across the Starry Galaxy. Praised for not only her selfless character, sense of justice, and intelligence, but of how she was chosen by a Star Fae!" explained Sasha, using terms Luna had never heard of before but before she could question it, the instructor spoke up.

"Let the first match begin!"

Once the instructor for this course announced those words, a swarm of butterflies attacked Luna's stomach, aching as she wished for the ground to just swallow her whole! _'Out of all the things, why an exhibition match!?'_ Luna was not the type to do crowds!

Heck, she didn't even want to take this course, yet it was mandatory for all royals and nobles. When it came to the art of combat, Luna only knew a few spells, which she learned in her last year of highschool taught to her by her favorite teacher, who once praised Luna on her excellent control over her magic.

"Yes! Finally, I can display my real skills with a genuine excuse to knock out a royal or noble! Ha, I believe this may just be my favorite class!" Folding her hands behind her head, a happy grin stretched across Sasha's face. Luna wished she felt just as excited as Sasha but only felt the opposite.

_'I'm doomed!'_ mentally wept Luna as a small glimmer of light shined from her head. Luna watched with dread as an instructor called out students' names to come down and fight on the round stage. The first couple of matches went by pretty quickly. When Sasha's name got called, Luna wished the girl good luck.

During her match, Sasha got her wish —she faced off against some snotty pretty girl who tried to flirt with Zain, who blatantly ignored her advances. Sasha pulled out a pair of gloves, covering her hands as she got into a fighting position and with one swift punch, sent the girl flying out of the ring and into unconsciousness.

A couple of more matches went by, and soon, the moment Luna had been dreading fell upon her when she heard the instructor call out her name. "Don't worry, girl! You got this!" Sasha sent her a thumbs-up as Luna nervously made her way down and stood on the stage.

Once on the stage, a pair of icy-blue eyes lit up with recognition. The corners of his lips quirked into a smirk, thinking to himself, _'So we finally met again, little one. Let's see what surprises you hold in store for me.'_


	14. Exhibition Match

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kei-Kei: Yep, you guys are getting another chapter, back to back~!
> 
> Luna: Hope you all enjoy the new chapter and don't forget to support POL~!

Luna stood nervously on the large circular shaped stage, palms sweating, stomach cramping. She hated the feeling of being watched by hundreds of eyes. Keeping her eyes on the ground, Luna could sense when her opponent stepped onto the stage.

"Hmph, so this is who they put me up against? This match will be nothing but a breeze! Do not worry, princess. I'll make sure not to dishonor the proud realm of Rigel!" 

A handsome boy with wavy blonde hair combed back stepped on stage. His choice of attire was more on the showy and regal side. An arrogant sneer marred his face as he glanced at his opponent before his eyes softened towards the beautiful blonde princess who showed zero reaction to his words.

"Alright, let the match begin!" yelled the bearded, stern-faced instructor as the boy disappeared, only to reappear before Luna and try to launch a punch straight at her. Luckily, Luna was able to evade the attack by shouting,

"Lunar Shield!" A silvery transparent shield appeared around her as the boy's blow bounced off and sent him stumbling back a few feet.

"What a cowardly way to fight! Svantovit, lend me your strength!" On his left hand a heavy ornamental gold ring glowed, and in both hands appeared a weapon with a long golden hilt. 

The blade glinted a crimson red color. Gripping the weapon's handle, he launched it straight at the shield as Luna watched with horror as her protection shield showed a pattern of cracks from the impact. "There's no way she is going to win. Setting aside his status as the son of a duke and a citizen of Rigel, the largest and highest influential realm in the Starry Galaxy, he's a Mystical Bearer," said the bragging voice of a girl; cherry pink lips curled into a confident smile. The stylish dress she wore was the latest of fashion trends; a long pink manicured nail twirled a piece of her magenta hair.

Sitting within hearing range of the girl was Sasha, who immediately knew the meaning behind Mystical Bearers. ' _Mystical Bearers are those who bear the power of a Mystical. Ancient and powerful spiritual beings who reside in dungeons and will only bestow their power on those who conquered their dungeons' trials. Yet, I have heard tales of people entering a Mystical Dungeon, hoping to achieve vast power, only to lose their lives. Yet this arrogant prick somehow succeeded and is a Mystical Bearer? Tsk, guess one really shouldn't judge a book by its cover.'_

Back down below, Dimitri launched his second weapon, and Luna's shield shattered into pieces. "Pathetic! Now, see if you can dodge this!" The boy got ready to launch his weapon yet again at Luna, who panicked and shouted two spells.

"Luminous! Aqua Slicer!" A bright burst of light emitted from Luna, blinding her opponent, who had to shield his eyes away from the intense light. Yet, he could not see the projectiles of water flying his way as two managed to scratch his cheek.

Feeling something warm drip down his cheek, he brought up his thumb and swiped it across his cheek. Seeing his thumb smeared with red, he quivered with indignation. "You... You dare harm my face... A face of a royal, proud son of Duke Orlov! You lowly insect! I'll kill you for your transgression! Svantovit! Convergence!" With his eyes blinded by rage, Luna sensed an unsettling feeling from the boy. 

A swell of impressional power swept the arena stage, his body submerged in red light. Once the light subsided, Luna saw how the boy's attire had changed, and he now sported sleek opulent gold armor and a crimson red tunic that covered his body.

The boy smirked as the crowd gasped and commented on his new display. Yet, Sasha was in outrage at what she saw. _'Convergence! Ain't that going overboard!?'_ She was unaware that Zain, one of the judges for this so-called exhibition match, thought the same.

The sight presented before her eyes immediately told Luna that she was now in big trouble as the boy summoned forth one of his weapons to his hand, same as before, and rushed in to attack Luna. Who luckily dodged out of the way, as Dimitri destroyed a portion of the stage. He continued to launch attacks with his weapon that Luna barely dodged, and she was harmed by the debris caused by his attacks.

Covering the stage was a cloud of debris. Luna was scared for her life and searched for her opponent, only to feel a powerful impact of something metal slam into her side and send her flying. Luna felt nothing but pain flare from her side as she fought to get herself back on her feet, only to have a foot pin her down on the ground. Looking up, she saw Dimitri closely analyzing her face with his eyes when a look of recognition lit up his violet orbs.

"I thought your name sounded familiar. Then again, there's only one person with the name Luna and that's the infamous and pathetic princess of Lunaris! Joke of the entire Starry Galaxy, Lunaris' great failure! Haha, to think the notorious shut-in princess decided to reveal herself and attend Starlight University!" The heavy pressure of his gold armor boot made it hard to breathe, but what made it worse was the heavy air of ridicule the other students aimed at her as Luna could hear their voices gossiping about her.

"No way, she's princess Luna of Lunaris?!"

"The loser princess of the galaxy?"

"Ain't there a rumor, calling her Lunaris' Great Doom?"

"She's worse than a commoner. What's the use of a princess with no authority or backing? She's nothing more than a figurehead!"

"There are four major realms that exist in Starry Galaxy and carry the most influence. Lunaris is one of those realms, beautiful, proud, and respected. Yet their princess is the complete opposite! Ha, what a joke and a disgrace!" This last taunting remark came from the pretty girl with the magenta hair.

While others mocked and brought up old rumors concerning the infamous princess, Sasha sat in shock in her seat. "She's a princess?" murmured Sasha. A part of her felt upset about being led on to believe the other was just like her. 

Betrayed that Luna was a member of royalty, meaning the two were nothing alike. Royalty sat high on their throne, fed continuously by a golden spoon without a care in the world. In contrast, people like her had to work hard to get through life and suffered from oppression.

Yet as she sat there and heard all the mean things people had to say about Luna, she was bewildered by the reaction people had towards Luna's unveiled status. The anger she had towards Luna lessened while her anger towards her new classmates rose. "Professor Bains, should we draw this match to a close?" calmly asked the crown jewel princess of Rigel, quirking an eyebrow up at the stormy gaze presented in Zain's eyes. His line of sight was set directly on Dimitri, who he seemed ready to kill.

"Not yet! Let's wait a little more and see what happens!" Hands folded underneath the table, Professor Bains was determined to prolong this battle a little longer. Meanwhile, Luna felt tears blur her vision, the taunting remarks, the pain, she wanted it all to go away!

Shutting her eyes tight, Luna wanted to wish away everything, only to hear a voice call out to her. "So we finally meet, my destined partner!"


	15. The Will to Change

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kei-Kei Yuki: Hi everyone! How are all of you feeling? Well, I hope you are feeling great and if you're having a bad day, may a new chapter of POL cheer you up~!
> 
> Luna: So grab some snacks, kick back, relax, and enjoy the newest chapter! Ain't that right, Sasha!
> 
> A confused Sasha walks on stage: What the...?! Where the heck am I? Just who are you people talking too?!

Luna's mind blacked-out, and when she came to, she saw herself standing in a desolated throne room covered in cobwebs and dust. The room was vast but empty, a shadow cast upon it, as her eyes made contact with an undecorated silver throne covered in a thick layer of dust.

"So we finally meet, my destined partner." Luna heard a cheery voice of a female child and turned around.

Flying in the air, centimeters away from her face, Luna saw a tiny child-like figure with big round purple eyes, silverish-purple hair, and tanned skin. She wore a cut-off sleeve dress which was white with faint colors of purple. Frills and bows were incorporated into the design. On her forehead glowed the mark of a lavender crescent moon.

"What's going on?! Where am I?" Luna began to panic and wondered where did this strange child-like figure come from.

"This is your inner soul room, which reflects the things you wish to ignore! By the way, since we're destined partners, you can just call me Lux!" smiled the tiny creature who called herself Lux as Luna ran a hand over the throne, her fingers now caked with dust.

She looked over the room and noticed how its real beauty was unseen, concealed by layers of dirt and grime that stemmed from years of being ignored. "I know your voice. I heard it before, back during the trial! You were the one who spoke to me!" exclaimed Luna as the white bunny ears on top of Lux's head stood up as she gleefully nodded her head.

"Yep~! That was me!" smiled Lux as her braided twin bun hairstyle only added to her cuteness, happily flying in the air.

"For a long time, you have run away from your duties and ignored reality," said Lux. Her voice's upbeat tone turned softer and more gentle as she paused, and with a motion of her hand, a foggy cloud appeared, and from it, she showed Luna an old memory.

After finding her first tutor's lessons too hard to comprehend, a young Luna had run to Mika to complain, only to have the other girl say to her, "Running away and crying will not solve your problems, Luna. One day, you'll have to grow up and face your problems by yourselves. No matter how difficult, you must press on and endure because that's what it means to be a royal and heir."

"So, are you ready to change and embrace destiny, or will you continue running away? The choice is yours, so what's it going to be?" asked Lux as Luna ran her eyes over the dusty throne one more time.

Luna knew her answer, but a part of her was still scared. She was nervous at the prospect of finally breaking away from her shell. For so long, she lived in comfort by ignoring everything around her, but her life hadn't been the same since her father's death. For so long, Luna had lived in fear of her status as heir and princess. She preferred to stay in the shadows rather than out front performing her duties.

"Running away and crying won't make my problems go away," Luna recited Mika's words. "I must face them myself, but to do that, I must change myself for the better. I lived in fear of the world for so long, but now I gotta break free and become a better version of myself."

_'You have a good heart, but you have to grow up. So stop being a caterpillar and blossom into the butterfly you're destined to be. No one is holding you back, my dear. Your life is in your own hands.'_

Luna thought of the speech Madame Dia once said to her, and with eyes that shone with pure determination, she said, "I want to change! I'm tired of being helpless and afraid! I want to take life into my own hands and become a better version of myself!"

Luna's words sparkled a gleeful round of sweet laughter from Lux. "Change does not come immediately. It takes time and determination, but no matter what, you must keep moving forward, Luna. Because just like the flow of time, it only moves forward, not backward," said Lux, flying up close to Luna's face.

"Luna, this is the moment where your true destiny begins." Lux changed into a tiny ball of purple light and melded inside of Luna's chest. Back at the arena, a minute passed since Luna fell unconscious. Dimitri stood proud and arrogant as he stood away from the unconscious girl, waiting for Professor Bains to announce him as the winner when something unusual took place.

A swarm of glowing purple butterflies burst out of Luna's chest and covered her entire body. The butterflies' luminous bodies were so bright that anyone who tried to stare in her direction was blinded and had to shield their eyes. The crowd of students broke out into a frenzy and began murmuring with each other. Professor Bains and even Dimitri did not know how to comprehend the odd sight taking place before their eyes.

The ones who sat calmly in their chairs were Princess Kira and Prince Zain, who, despite his icy stare, questions were brewing in his head. Like a caterpillar breaking away from its cocoon, the thousands of butterflies slowly dispersed from Luna's body before dematerializing together. Yet what stood in place astonished everyone.

"N-No way? Is that really Luna?" questioned Sasha, who, just like the others, had a hard time believing her eyes as the person standing in the spot where Luna once laid. Stood up straight and had her entire body bathed in silvery-purple light. The air she gave off was different, calm and composed, unlike her usual timid demeanor.

Not only did Luna's personality seem to have done a complete one-eighty, but so did her entire wardrobe. Luna now donned an elegant sleeveless purple and white short dress, and the whole outfit was covered in silver ornamental lining and designs.

Luna's lavender and pale blonde streaked hair was straightened and fashioned in a high-wrapped ponytail that swept the ground, held in place by a silver and purple crystal butterfly pinned on the side. Silver star earrings dangled from her ears as upon Luna's forehead glowed the mark of a lavender crescent moon.

"Did she just transform?!"

"What just happened? I never heard of the Princess of Lunaris being a Mystical Bearer!"

"That can't be true as those with magic can not bond with Mysticals. So is it some rare magical item?"

Students began to question what brought on Luna's sudden transformation, but only one person knew the answer as her sapphire eyes stared down at the gold charm bracelet on her wrist. Four gems dangled from the bracelet: diamond, ruby, sapphire, and emerald. Each in the shape of a card suit. _'A Star Fae has chosen the Princess of Lunaris,'_ thought Princess Kira.


	16. Our Fate that is Tied

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kei-Kei Yuki: If you guys are ready for another exciting chapter of POL! Sit back, grab a snack, and relax! Cause in this chapter, Luna and a certain someone finally reunites again~!
> 
> Luna: R-Really? With Who?!
> 
> Kei-Kei Yuki: Sorry but no spoiler~!

"Star Form-Pawn!" announced Luna, standing on stage, summoning forth twin daggers made out of pure light to her hands. Channeling magic into her weapons, Luna crossed her arms in an x-formation as the blades glowed bright and she broke her arms' formation.

"Lunar Star Cross!" Luna unleashed a large light-based magic attack that took the form of an X as Dimitri hurriedly blocked the attack with his dual weapons.

Luna's attack collided with his weapons. Dimitri gritted his teeth, shocked to find himself pushed back and seconds later sent flying into the stadium walls where Luna's attack left a heavy indent. Dropping down to the ground, Dimitri struggled to get back on his feet as the students' eyes were wide in disbelief. When the match first started, it was clear that Dimitri far outmatched the infamous Princess of Lunaris. Yet somehow, the girl suddenly underwent a strange transformation, changing the tide of battle.

Luna found herself feeling exhausted after unleashing such a large scale attack. _'Your body is still not used to bonding with me yet, which is why you feel so tired. Any second now, our merge will come undone. So count yourself lucky that this battle is now over.'_ Breathing heavy, Luna heard Lux's voice in her head.

Just as Lux predicted, Luna soon reverted to normal and dropped down to her knees, drained of energy as Lux appeared before her, worriedly fretting over her condition. Yet Lux's tiny appearance stunned the crowd as they realized what had caused Luna's transformation. Star Faes' existence was not one of secrets as the story behind them existed in storybooks.

Despite their small size, these creatures, born from stars, held unfathomed magic within themselves and only bonded with those they called their destined partner. Those chosen by Star Faes were prophesied to have great destinies that may alter or shape the future.

Out of the Four Great Star Divinus who helped shape the Starry Galaxy and helped protect it from a great evil, two were bonded with a Star Fae. But that was the last time a Star Fae was spotted until eons later when it was reported that the Princess of Rigel was chosen by a Star Fae at the age of ten. At the time, the princess was already praised by the nobles' inner circle for her well-mannered behavior and insightful young mind.

So this news only boosted her name to the point that people began dubbing her as Star Saint. But to see Luna, a princess who was the joke of the entire galaxy, with a Star Fae, people didn't know how to believe their eyes. Dimitri was in the same boat, not to mention the anger and embarrassment he felt from being defeated by a pathetic, figurehead princess. Her glory held no candle to his beloved Princess Kira, a woman sought after by many, the apple of his eye. The one woman he wanted to impress, but instead he was reduced to such a lousy state. 

"Princess of Lunaris, you'll pay for what you have done. Svantovit hear my plea and reduce that weakling princess to ashes!" Rage poured from Dimitri's eyes. Pointing the blade of his weapon straight at Luna, a large spell circle appeared and dispelled a powerful attack aimed directly at her.

The poor girl was too tired to defend herself and could only close her eyes tight. But instead of feeling pain, Luna sensed someone appear before her and cracked open her eyes. Standing before her, Luna saw a man's broad back, his long silver locks flying beautifully behind him as he stretched out his hand.

Zain blocked Dimitri's attack, and as soon as the spell dispersed, he summoned forth his bow and swiftly shot an ice arrow that pierced straight through Dimitri's armor and embedded itself into his shoulder. Dimitri cried out in pain, yet Zain paid no attention to him. Turning around, he bent down and easily lifted Luna in his arms. "Professor Bains, I'm taking her to the nurse's room." Zain didn't even wait for Professor Bains to reply as he coolly exited off the stage with Luna in his arms.

They were unaware that his actions were screenshotted and recorded by half the girls in the stadium, who marked Luna as their enemy, and so did many more who saw the clip once it was shared and posted. The trip to the nurse's office was awkward, to say the least, as Luna kept her gaze away from Zain's beautiful face that could outshine the looks of any man or woman. She clutched Lux to her chest like a teddy bear.

Today, instead of a suit, his broad upper body was stylishly covered in a black collar dress shirt with gold buttons; his long legs were concealed in a pair of gray slacks, paired with a black belt decorated in gold. Draped regally over his shoulders was a black and gold jacket, decked out in gold accessories. A pale blue diamond earring dangled from his right ear, a gold and amethyst bracelet was worn on his right wrist, and last was the heavy ornamental gold and citrine necklace that he wore around his neck.

Knowing his way to the nurse's office, Zain opened the door. He searched around the room for the nurse who was seen nowhere in the infirmary. Zain walked over to the first bed and gently sat Luna down. The latter hoped for Zain to leave, now that his job was done, since Luna's stomach was filled with butterflies. Except her entire face heated up when a large hand reached out and caressed the left side of her face.

"Are you okay?" Such a simple question, yet his devilishly silky voice caused Luna's heart to pound uncontrollably.

"Wow! You're beautiful!" said a love-struck Lux, just like many before her who all laid eyes on Zain, only to have their hearts stolen away by his beautiful looks. Shooting his gaze at Lux, Zain smirked, and immediately Lux was down for the count.

"Another one bites the dust~!" amusingly sang the female voice of Zain's ice Mystical. 

Hand still on Luna's cheek that felt warm to his touch, Zain moved his eyes back onto the shy girl who refused to grace him with a look. He removed his hand from her cheek, and his slender fingers gently grasped her chin, jerking her face up, causing their eyes to clash.

"Little one, I know you have a voice. Now answer me, are you harmed in any way?" Under his magnetizing gaze, Luna's mouth opened and she said,

"I-I'm f-fine!" She stuttered an answer as Zain nodded his head.

"That's good to hear, 'cause if it was the opposite, I would've put another arrow through his shoulder," Zain blankly said, yet his eyes burned with anger that told Luna that he would've followed through with his threat, yet why would he do such a thing for her sake!?

They only met one time, and their time together wasn't even that long! "Why? Why would you do such a thing for me?! We don't even know each other that well!" Luna was not naive to believe it was her looks or status that drew his attention.

In the appearance department, Luna's looks were average. Not even able to hold a candle to Mika and CeCe. Then there's her status as princess/heir of Lunaris, which was proved today to be nothing but a joke. So why did every time he looked at her, warmth radiated from his icy blue orbs?

Zain said nothing as his piercing gaze stared deeply into Luna's big purple and gold eyes. "Destiny, or fate as you may call it. Meeting you on that balcony has awoken a side of myself that has tied its fate to yours. All else will be explained in due time, but just know this..." Zain brought Luna's face close, lips only centimeters apart that if one of the two pressed forward, they would be sharing a kiss.

In a voice that sent shivers down to Luna's toes, he said, "You are mine, little one. So don't even think about running away." 


	17. Dorm Apartment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kei-Kei Yuki: Hope you enjoy the latest chapter of POL~! Please don't forget to support and show a ton of love~!

Zain had left minutes ago, yet Luna sat there in shock on her bed. Mind replaying the words he said to her, she asked herself, "How did I become the female lead of some possessive CEO novel? Holy-Mother, why are you doing this to me!?" groaned Luna. Folding her legs to her chest, Luna rested her chin on her knees and stared off into space.

She was only brought out of her train of thoughts when she heard the door open and in walked Sasha. Reaching out for a spare chair, Sasha grabbed it and pulled it close to Luna's bed. Luna didn't know how she should interact with Sasha now that Dimitri exposed her identity. 

_'Does Sasha hate me now that she has found out I'm a princess? Oh, what am I saying? Of course, she hates me! Once again. I'm destined to be alone,'_ thought Luna.

Eyes downcast onto her lap where Lux laid still passed out, Luna strolled down the painful memories of her past. When she attended middle and high school, none of the kids found her interesting, and once they learned of her identity, nothing but harsh ridicule was thrown at Luna. 

_'Look, it's the lame princess!'_

_'Why is she so plain looking?'_

_'A princess with no respect is nothing but a joke!'_

Recalling their mocking laughter and jabbing fingers in her direction, Luna shuddered and held herself tighter, anxiously awaiting for a similar scenario to happen with Sasha. "So, you're a princess, huh? Gotta say I wasn't expecting that. Nothing about you screams 'princess'." Luna flinched. Tears stung her eyes as she waited to hear Sasha berate her.

"But... Maybe that's a good thing. The air you give off is normal. Not arrogant or snobby like the nobles I'm familiar with on Ignis. At first, I was mad after that jerk revealed your identity. I felt betrayed and even wondered why you kept it a secret. But as I recalled my impression from when we first met this morning, I understood why. My enormous dislike towards nobles and royalty has nothing to do with you. I should only judge a person after I have gotten to know them. So how about we start over. Hi, I'm Sasha! A normal village girl from Ignis."

Luna's teary, glassy eyes widened with shock, and slowly she lifted her head and looked directly at Sasha. The taller girl had a smile playing on her face, eyes pure and honest, and had a hand outstretched towards Luna. The other girl's actions were outside Luna's expectations. Droplets of tears ran down her chubby cheeks as sweet joy burst from her heart.

Reaching out towards that hand, Luna eagerly shook it, sniffing back tears as she said, "Hi, I'm Luna, princess and heir of Lunaris."

Luna shook the hand of the very first friend she made, hoping this moment would last a lifetime as they laughed and talked about the exhibition match. Well, mainly Sasha, who was going on a rant about Dimitri. "I swear if I see that noble prick again! I'll falcon punch him into next week! Don't underestimate the power of a half-Amazon!" proudly gloated Sasha.

"Wait! You're half-Amazon?" questioned Luna as Sasha nodded her head.

"Yep! My dad is a hunter, and my mom is an Amazon!" Sasha happily revealed this piece of information to Luna. When realization suddenly entered Sasha's head, she recalled something she heard from her mother.

"Wait. Not that long ago, wasn't Lunaris under attack and suffered tremendous damage? Not only that, but they even lost there-" Sasha was quick to catch herself. A sense of empathy went out towards the shorter girl as Sasha's words brought up old wounds concerning Luna's father's death.

"S-Sorry! I didn't mean to bring up old wounds! That was insensitive of me! The death of a family member is a hard burden to bear." The look in Sasha's eyes held grief that said she could relate to Luna. Not wanting to dwell on the sadness, Luna forced a smile on her face.

"I'm doing the best as I can," said Luna as Sasha gave the other girl's hand a tight squeeze.

Crossing one of the campus main quads, drawing forth numerous starry-eyed heart gazes, was Zain. His long legs were strutting the pathway of the campus park like a model. The rays of sunlight reflected against his long silver hair allowing it to shimmer beautifully. His sharp and angular face was cold and emotionless, ignoring the infatuated gazes his admirers threw his way.

Zain was walking by himself when a handsome and spirited-looking young man with messy raven hair jogged up next to him. "Dude, what's this I hear about you acting out of character?" asked the boy whose glossy obsidian eyes glinted with curiosity before winking and waving at a cute pair of girls who were blushing and giggling in his direction.

Not sparing him a glance, Zain asked, "What are you talking about?" The boy dug into his pocket and took out his phone. After unlocking it, he showed Zain a picture of himself and Luna that was posted on Starbook, shared throughout the entire campus.

"You are usually emotionless when it comes to girls, yet this pic shows you trying to play the role of prince charming! All your past girlfriends failed to get this type of reaction from you. So why's this adorable short-stack different?" asked the boy who seemed to have a close friendship with Zain.

"Jian, stop asking so many questions," Zain said before walking ahead of the other boy who had to run to catch up with him.

Students who attended Starlight University lived in what the faculty called dorm apartments. There were a total of eight dorm buildings, and each building had twenty-four floors. The dorm buildings were separated between gender, and each dorm apartment could accommodate up to five students. After retrieving their dorm apartment key, Sasha and Luna made their way to their dorm apartment and opened the door.

Once inside, on their left was an entrance that led into a cute and cozy fully furnished living room. On the right was a kitchen that peered into the living room. The apartment was spacious. The walls were a cream-yellow color while the furniture and interior designs were a light pink and blue.

Continuing straight led them into a wide-open hallway; on their right were two doors, straight ahead was another door, and on their left were three more doors, of which one of them was open. Sharing a look with each other, they could hear the voice of a frustrated girl coming from the room with the open door and they peered inside.

"Ugh! Why are all these designs so tacky!?"


	18. Roommate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Luna: Kei-Kei had to go to bed early, but we hope you check out the latest chapter of POL! Sit back, grab a snack, and enjoy~!

Standing close to the wall was a girl using her bright pink designer manicured nail to scroll through the computerized panel attached to the wall. This digitized wall panel allowed students to customize and decorate their room using the millions of decor-themes stored in each dorm building's database. The girl was tall with a long veil of silky raven hair that ran straight down her back with fuchsia dyed underneath.

A frown marred her beautiful porcelain face as her almond-shaped eyes displayed anger. Covering her forehead were straight-cut bangs. She showed off her slim model-like figure by wearing jean shorts and a yellow tank top; worn over it was a white, long-sleeve shirt with fuchsia and blue graffiti designs all over it. Fastened around her waist was a black belt with a flashy gold buckle, which was the initial of some top trendy fashion brand.

The girl must've sensed their presence as she turned her head towards Sasha and Luna's direction, causing her large gold earrings to dance. "Oh great, they stuck me with roommates who have a trashy sense of fashion," criticized the girl who immediately came off as snobby, throwing a disgusted look towards Sasha's and Luna's wardrobe.

"Okay, let's get one thing straight. I don't care about your background, just don't bother me or touch my stuff. You are never allowed entry into my room without my permission. All of my things are off-limits, and I swear if I see one item missing, you'll live to regret it. Follow my rules and we'll all manage to get through this year peacefully~!" Throwing them a wink and a fake smile, the girl slammed the door in their faces, leaving both Sasha and Luna speechless.

"Oh, you gotta be fudgemuffing me... ! They stuck us with this type of chick? One of us ain't going to live to see the end of this year!" Sasha screamed in rage before searching for the room that had their stuff inside.

After finding her room, which was right next to Sasha's, Luna sat on the bed. The room was spacious but very plain and basic with a bed, a desk stationed in the corner of the room, a closet, and a clothes dresser.

She pointed her eyes down at Lux, who laid in her lap and started to stir awake in her arms, slowly opening her big eyes before recognizing Luna's face. "Happy to see you're finally awake~!" smiled Luna as Lux floated up into the air, rubbing her eyes.

"I swear I saw the most beautiful creature before darkness submerged me. Could I have been dreaming?" asked Lux, recalling Zain and his breathtaking beauty. Luna couldn't help but laugh.

"Nope! A great beauty definitely took you out!"

"Really?! I haven't encountered a being that beautiful since-" Lux started to say, only for her mind to draw up blank, which didn't feel right to Lux.

"Strange. It feels as if I'm forgetting something..." murmured Lux before shaking her head and flying to stand on Luna's dresser.

"But that's not important! What's important is training you to get in shape so you can harness my powers!" said Lux. "Merging with a Star Fae is different from merging with a Mystical. Yes, Star Faes and Mysticals harness tremendous magic, but to harness the power of a Mystical..."

Lux summoned forth an empty cup of water and a pitcher in both of her hands. "The bearer must be devoid of magic as the magic of a Mystical can not harmonize with other magical beings. Meaning those whose bodies possess no magic, when they merge with a Mystical--" Lux held up the pitcher, pouring water inside the empty glass. "--they empower the empty bearer with their magic. But a person's body can not contain all that immense magic at once, so a person must train their bodies if they wish to utilize the absolute power of a Mystical."

"As you know, I'm a Star Fae. Now, what is a Star Fae? Well, we are born from the stars. The magic we hold within ourselves is abundant! We set off to find our destined partner after we take form. Here is how a Star Fae is different from a Mystical." Lux poured half the water in the cup back into the pitcher as she got ready to show Luna another demonstration.

"The way we Star Faes find our destined partner is when our magic fluctuates and begins calling to the magic of our destined partner. You see, when we bond, our magic harmonizes, thus increasing the size of the magic inside your body." Lux began pouring the water from the pitcher into the half-full glass of water.

"Still, it takes time to fully unlock a Star Fae's powers as the person may undergo various transformations before finally awakening their Star Fae's full powers. Those chosen by a Star Fae are prophesied to have great destinies that may alter/shape the future," said Lux after filling the glass to the brim with water.

"Wait! I understand everything you were saying, but that last bit. I don't see myself having such a huge impact on the world! I'm no saint or a hero! I'm just trying to become a stronger person." Luna stared honestly into Lux's eyes.

"You may say that, but we'll see what the future holds. But instead of worrying about the future, let's concentrate on the present and enjoy the ride~!" smiled Lux as her cute dimpled face caused Luna to smile as well.

"Oh, but I do have one question! What am I supposed to do with you? I mean, I can't carry you around all the time in this form!" asked Luna. In response, Lux flew off the desk, and in mid-air, turned into a ball of light. The light slowly morphed into the shape of a necklace, and after the light dispersed, Luna felt something fall into her lap.

There laid a delicate and pretty gold pendant necklace. Attached to it was an amethyst crystal butterfly with a gold crescent moon and amethyst prism star crystal conjoined. "It's so pretty~!" Luna lifted the necklace in the air to admire its attractive appearance.

"We can communicate this way!" said Lux as Luna was distracted by a message on her phone. Removing her phone from her pocket, Luna unlocked it and saw it was her mom.

Luna removed her pale pink laptop from her luggage bag. She opened it and soon sent a video chat request to her mom. In a matter of seconds, Luna saw her mom's face appear on her screen. The woman asked over a hundred questions as Luna smiled and began telling her about her first day at Starlight University. Of course, while leaving out the major bits, such as facts concerning her battle with Dimitri and her moment with Zain.


	19. Happy Rainbow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sasha: What the heck...? Where am I? Where did this stage come from?
> 
> Luna: Welcome to the introduction stage! Say hi to the readers!
> 
> Sasha: Huh? What readers?
> 
> Luna: I hope everyone is ready to enjoy another exciting chapter of POL! So sit back, grab a snack, and enjoy~!
> 
> Sasha: Who are you talking to?!

The next day, their new roommate aggravated Sasha when the other had to use the bathroom. She was declined because of a certain someone who had been hogging the bathroom for herself for the last three hours! Banging her fist on the door, Sasha ordered the other girl to hurry up.

"Patience, my dear~! To look this fabulous, it's a long process~!" sung the voice on the other side of the door as Luna had to hold Sasha back from breaking down the door using her impressive half-Amazon strength.

Finally, the beauty-queen, dolled up and fabulous, strutted out the bathroom door with a flick of her long raven and glossy fuchsia hair; the light from the window flickered off her large gold earrings. Their new roommate exited their dorm apartment. A stylish name brand yellow purse adorned her pale wrist.

"I swear that girl is testing my patience!" said Sasha before running into the bathroom and slamming the door closed. Since today neither Luna and Sasha had any classes, the girls decided to take a trip into the city. Mainly so Sasha could look for a part-time job.

The distance between Starlight University and the main city of Arcane was thirteen miles and due to the campus’s location, which was surrounded by a river and a vast forest, the university offered bus rides into the city. After paying the bus fee, Sasha and Luna took a seat as the bus drove off, and after minutes passed Luna glanced out the window and read the flashy bright red billboard that said: Welcome to Avalon! Based on the information Luna read up on, Avalon was the capital of Arcane, nicknamed the Big Apple of the Starry Galaxy.

Starlight University was located in the realm of Arcana. The core and capital of the Starry Galaxy, which some said held the galaxy’s deepest secrets and mysteries. The gates of Arcane only connected to Rigel, Lunaris, Militum, and Yun as some of the biggest businesses in the entertainment industry and other fields resided in this realm.

It was also a central place for imports and exports to get distributed all over the galaxy. Driving into the heart of Avalon, the city was overwhelmed with digital advertising billboards. The scenery of Avalon screamed luxury, colorful, and trendy. The people walking the streets wore nothing but the latest of fashion with impeccable looks.

Their aura glowed bright like dazzling stars, immediately letting others know that they existed in a different world from regular people. When the bus stopped and let them out, Luna and Sasha were bewildered by the busy city streets.

"Step up, and buy a fresh Avalon Spicy Hotdog!"

"Titanic Burger and Shake is now open! All first-time customers get a free discount on their first order!"

"Shop at New Moon, the trendiest fashion store in Avalon!"

Sasha and Luna were distracted constantly by restaurants and shops promoting their businesses. People were coming in and out of stores; the wafting smells of food and perfume mixed and blended into the lively streets. "Wow, it's like I've stepped into a whole new different place~!" exclaimed Sasha.

"And here I thought the northeast side of the Selene was flashy, but this place takes the cake," said Luna as Sasha took out her phone and looked up directions to a place that said that they were now hiring. Even with Sasha's phone directions, the two girls still had a hard time finding the place. They found the maze-like structure of Avalon confusing. After wasting twenty minutes, the girls were finally able to find the street.

"There it is! Sweet Ave!" happily yelled Luna. Sweet Ave, home to Avalon’s best bakeries, candy stores, and ice cream parlors. Upon entering Sweet Ave, Luna felt like a kid in a candy store as she stared at all the bright pop color shops and had a hard time resisting the itch to try each place.

"Calm down, girl. I feel you drooling," teased Sasha, laughing when she watched Luna's face blush red with embarrassment.

"Say, I've meant to ask, but what happened to your Star Fae, and oh by the way-Wow, you have a Star Fae?!" Despite the late reaction, Sasha finally brought up Lux's appearance.

Sheepishly scratching her cheek, Luna answered Sasha. "She resides in this pendant." Luna held the pendant up in the air to show to Sasha.

"So pretty, but you know, I once heard that those chosen by a Star Fae are destined to alter the future! When news got out that a Star Fae chose the princess of Rigel, people began calling her a Star Saint and started recognizing her as some type of holy figure since the last time a Star Fae chose a person was during the ages of the Four Star Divinus," said Sasha, as Luna recalled Lux saying similar words.

"That may be true for the princess of Rigel, but not for me. I mean, you know of my reputation. I can’t see myself being able to alter the state of the galaxy," said Luna as the girl drew close to a turquoise building.

The roof had the architect of a decorative frosted cake with rainbow sprinkles. Edible beds of candy in the shape of roses surrounded the building with a cozy outside seating area stationed in the back. Outside above the door in bold cutesy writing in multi-colors was a sign that read: Happy Rainbow~!

Walking through the door, the first person to greet them was a cute and curvy woman. Freckles were sprinkled across her cheeks. Stepping out from behind the counter, the girls saw the woman was sporting a cheerleading-inspired outfit; the base color was teal while the rest was rainbow colors with a ton of cute fruit motifs and accessories. The woman’s blonde hair was styled into a cute bob as she smiled and said,

"Welcome to Happy Rainbow~! Would you like a batch of our fresh Rainbow Sprinkle Sugar Cookies~?" The girl had an irresistible charm that caused others to feel happy when in her presence as Luna was tempted to accept the woman's offer, only to have Sasha speak up first.

"I read on your website that you’re hiring and I would like to apply," said Sasha as the woman blinked her teal eyes confusingly until a large grin took over and she squealed loudly!

"Yay~!" She ran over and caught Sasha off guard by pulling her into a tight hug before pulling away. She beamed a large pretty smile and said, "Do you think you could start today? I'm way under staffed-really, I have no staff and could really use the help!"

"Wait-What?!"

"If you agree, I'll double your pay." The woman fluttered her pretty eyes as money signs flashed in Sasha's eyes.

"Deal! I'm in!"


	20. First Day at Work

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kei-Kei: Hope guys are ready for another chapter of POL! Don't forget, if you love this story, please show it your support! Enjoy~!

"H-Hi! W-Welcome to Happy Rainbow~! H-How can I be of service to you today~?" stuttered Luna, cringing at her stuttering, and wondered to herself, _'How did I end up in this situation?'_ Standing behind the counter, she had a large pair of white and pink bunny ears attached to a pink headband with an accessory modeled after a shortcake placed upon her head.

Somehow after Sasha accepted the woman's offer, the woman turned to her, and when faced with her puppy-dog pleading look, Luna found herself wanting to lend the woman a hand. Which included getting changed into a similar outfit to the one her new boss was sporting. The only exception being that the base color of Luna’s outfit was pink with yellow and purple added to it.

Luna was thrust into the front counter position, getting a piece of paper from the woman, who introduced herself as Alice to the girls, to read off of each time a new customer entered. Luna had always been an introverted person. Not to mention shy in front of new people, which would explain the reason behind her stuttering.

"Hey, Alice! What do you want me to do with this leftover dough?!" Stepping out of the kitchen, wearing a loud orange and yellow cheerleading outfit, was Sasha. Fox ears stood proudly on top of her head, attached to an orange headband and a chocolate truffle accessory. It was a bit weird to see such a cutesy outfit on Sasha, who had somewhat of a tomboyish personality in Luna's opinion.

"We can make an extra batch of cookies~!" said Alice, filling the display counter with a fresh batch of double chocolate chip cookies stuffed with sweet white icing that would give someone cavities from the sugary taste.

"Gotcha, boss lady~! So, how are you hanging in here?" Sasha walked over and asked Luna.

"Honestly, not so good! I'm not good with social interaction. I tend to get nervous very quickly," said Luna as the doorbell jingled, signaling that another customer had walked inside. Looking straight ahead, the dazzling sight of two desirable men met Luna’s gaze. One of whom she was very familiar with, while the other was a stranger to her.

"I told you a new sweet place just recently opened up, and look, it's the chibi from the other day! Hi, shorty~!" Strolling up to the counter and leaning against it stood Jian, who threw Luna a wink and a flirty smile.

Standing behind the counter, Alice, who caught sight of the two men with divine attractiveness, blushed scarlet and nearly fainted. Hands holding her blushing cheeks, she said, "They're so handsome~!" she swooned, big pink hearts pounding from her eyes.

Faced with such a lively character, Luna didn't know how to react towards Jian. Luckily, Sasha shielded her, blocking Jian's vision of Luna as the scowling sight of a brown-haired beauty caught his eyes.

"Hey! Back off, you're making the poor girl uncomfortable!"

"Well, hi there, beautiful, and what's your name?" It seemed that Jian had his sights set on Sasha now, who scoffed at his lame attempt at trying to flirt with her.

"Back off, playboy, this right here is too much woman for you!" Sasha sassily told him, a firm hand sitting on her hip as Jian smirked. A tingle of excitement caused his ruby eyes to glitter beautifully in the light, finding the girl before him very interesting.

"Well, maybe a touch of a real woman is just what I need." While Jian tried to flirt with Sasha, Luna stepped away from the two, only to hear a silky magnetizing voice call out to her.

"So we meet for a third time, little one." It seemed that that voice had Luna under some type of spell as she found her head turning in Zain's direction. A hint of mirth was displayed on his face as Luna forced her eyes away from the beautiful man.

"Still refusing to meet my eye. Gotta say, your way of flirting is very interesting." Zain sounded amused as Luna whipped her head his way and said,

"B-But I'm not flirting with you!" she blurted out but only to be met with those immersive icy-blue eyes that made her freeze up and fall under their spell.

A smile tugged at the corner of Zain's lips as he stepped close to the counter. Luna found herself feeling small when this man peered down at her. Not to mention the bundle of nerves that attacked her stomach. Luckily, Luna considered herself saved when the doorbell signaled that yet another customer had entered through the door. However, as she peered towards the door and saw a trio of pretty girls enter, the feeling in Luna's stomach worsened.

All three girls wore expensive designer handbags that adorned their dainty wrists, and sported fashionable high taste outfits that screamed wealthy. The girl in the middle, who gave Luna the impression that she was the leader of the trio, removed her stylish white framed sunglasses from her face, smiling attractively in Zain's direction as she began strutting over.

"Oh my, Prince Zain, fancy meeting you here~! Ah, it seems Jian is with you as well! What a surprise!" The girl acted as if she was familiar with the two boys as Zain ignored the girl whose voice sounded annoying to his ears. While Jian, who could never ignore a woman, turned to greet the group.

"Why, hello ladies~! What brought you here?" Jian turned to greet the group with a smile; yet to him, this was more of a formality. 

He was a bit let down that his time with the feisty brunette was interrupted. The girl who had talked had the looks of a fairy with long magenta hair, loosely curled towards the end, smooth fair skin, and glistening lime-green eyes that showed deep infatuation for Zain.

"Just wanted to grab a quick cookie before doing some shopping. Do you guys want to hang out with us? We heard that later tonight a new hot club will be opening here in Avalon. If you’re interested, we can all go together?" 

The girl's lime-green eyes held a strong hope that the boys would agree, especially Zain. An attractive, sexy girl in a black and purple ruffle top and short skirt ran over, latching onto Jian's arm.

"Please say yes~! We promise you boys will have a great time!" The girl tried seducing Jian into accepting their offer by allowing his arm to feel up her well-endowed chest when she pressed against him. Unlike her friend who held feelings for Zain, this one was crushing badly on Jian. Before Jian could think up an excuse to turn down the girls, Zain became fed up and annoyed as he said,

"Jian, let's go." His voice was so cold and harsh that the trio of girls flinched from his icy tone. He pointed one last soft look towards Luna, who stood on the other side of the counter. 

"Until we meet again, little one. Hopefully, by then, you'll be brave enough to look me in the eyes," said Zain, before turning around, ignoring the desperate attempt of the trio’s leader hoping to get his attention, only to watch crestfallen as he walked out the door never gracing her with a single look.

"Sorry, ladies, but maybe next time~!" Jian pushed the girl's arm off him, turning around to greet the scowling brunette behind the counter. "Seeing you later, foxy! Hopefully, when we meet again, a frown won't be marring your beautiful face!" Throwing Sasha a kiss, Jian followed Zain out the door. The trio did not miss the brief interaction the boys shared with the two girls and once they left, Sasha and Luna were left with three glowering pairs of eyes. 


	21. Mean Girls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kei-Kei: Hope you guys are ready for another exciting chapter of POL~!

After Zain and Jian left, the bakery's temperature dropped to below freezing as the girl's eyes held envy, which was pointed toward the two as the sexy, attractive stranger swaggered up to the counter. The girl fashioned her flawless indigo hair into a high ponytail, bangs framing the left side of her face. "Just because Jian said a few nice words to you, don't let it go to your head. Jian is nice to every girl in the galaxy, but he only dates those who are highly attractive and noble in status." The girl rudely stared at Sasha in disgust, unable to believe _her_ Jian would flirt with someone so beneath him.

_'The girl may have curves and an okay face, but I'm far superior, not to mention a daughter of a proud and wealthy noble. While from the looks of it, this girl is more than likely a commoner! Tch, what a disgrace! How could such a lowly fox seduce my Jian!?'_ The green-eyed monster reared its head as the girl felt the urge to stir up some trouble, especially for Sasha.

Swaggering up next to the girl with the indigo hair stood a girl with delicate and cute fair looks. Her doe lime-green eyes pointed directly at Luna. "A princess and heir of the Quartet working in a bakery?" Her velvety soft pink lips lifted into a smile of ridicule. "This proves how far you've fallen, that even nobles stare down at you in disgust. A disgraced heir who no one acknowledges, and yet, you dare to flirt with Prince Zain?"

The smile on her face contrasted against her delicate and soft looking appeal. A hint of anger could be detected in her tone as her eyes shot daggers of hate at Luna. Who flinched at the intensity those eyes held towards her. "Hey, princess bubblegum, tone it down! You and your berry friend over here can either buy some sweets or get to stepping. Pick between the two while I'm still trying to be friendly." Sasha forced a smile on her face, remembering when she had to deal with the bossy spoiled noble daughters back on Ignis, who tried to make trouble with her because of a decision she now regretted.

Dealing with those girls had toughened Sasha's heart, so their disapproving glares of disgust and harsh words bounced right off her. Yet Luna was different. Even though she held a princess's status, Luna was treated like an outcast and hardly attended any of the luxurious parties thrown by the noble madams and their young daughters. Of course, they sent letters to her, but that was more of a formality than an actual request.

Luna had learned the hard way how the other noble girls honestly thought of her when she once decided to attend one of their parties. Despite their dazzling and pure looks, sparkling like rare treasured jewels, deep down inside, these girls were rotten. They used their flowery words to poke fun and humiliate Luna in front of all their friends to the point Luna left early and cried in her room the rest of the day. Luna learned her lesson that day. Never again did she attend another party.

Luna couldn't shake off their mean words and stand up to defend herself as Sasha could. They were two different people with their own personalities, but despite how much the words stung and hurt Luna, she was tired of always crying and hoping for a hero to save her. "I know my status means nothing to people like you. Yet you come in here with no proof and throw accusations at me? So, unless you've come to buy desserts from this lovely establishment, please leave." Luna pointed a firm gaze at the girl with the fairy looks, who, though she may not show it on her face, was mentally surprised that the timid princess spoke back to her.

"Why, you little pip-squeak-" The girl with the indigo hair raised her voice, only to be silenced by her friend who lifted a chrome pink manicured nail to her friend's lips before she spoke.

"Trying to grow a backbone, huh? Well, it's too late; look at what happened to your homeworld." The remark was like a dagger that plunged straight through Luna's heart as the girl pulled down her sunglasses and turned around.

"Let go, girls. The stench of a commoner and a no-talent princess is overbearing~!" With a swish of their hips, the trio left with smirks on their faces. Sasha went to comfort Luna, who was desperately trying to hold back tears.

"Look, don't let that girl's words get to you! That was below the belt, and she shouldn't have gone that far! Now, come here, everything is going to be okay!" Sasha pulled the other girl into a tight hug. Luna was not strong enough to hold back the big fat tears that landed on Sasha's loud orange cheerleading top. Standing in the corner, having watched the entire little drama episode take place, Alice was left in a daze and speechless.

The next day, Luna was grateful for Sasha's sincerity, who helped her deal with the raw pain from the death of her father, which a certain someone had so heartlessly triggered. Later that night, when she got ready to fall asleep and Sasha went back to her room, Lux showed herself and snuggled up close to Luna's face. Smiling at the small little fairy attempting to comfort her, Luna felt better, but the next day, thoughts clouded her head throughout her classes.

_'Would things have been different if I was stronger and taken my role as heir and princess more seriously? If I were more serious, could I have the power to protect my dad and save the hundreds of lives that were lost that day? Is everything somehow my fault?'_

Such questions left an aching hole in Luna's chest, and before she realized it, they had finally reached their Combatant class. Sitting in the university arena stadium, the students saw Professor Bain, and behind him stood four people.

"Welcome to another day of Combatant class! Now that we have the exhibition match results, each of you will be placed in the class that suits you best. There are five classes: Magic-Caster, Weaponry, Beast-Tamer, Martial Arts, and Assassin. Each class is overseen by a teacher who is proficient in that class's combat style and will help you utilize your abilities to their full strength. Each teacher will step up and call forth the name of the students assigned under them, starting first with Professor Nox."

Professor Bain pointed to a frail and handsome young-looking man with gentle features who stepped up and shyly waved to the crowd of students. Some of the girls who saw his appearance couldn't help but blush and eagerly wished for him to call their name. But when Luna saw this man, her eyes lit up with recognition. _'T-Teacher Nox?! What is he doing here?!'_


	22. Magic-Caster Class

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Luna and Sasha: We hope you all are ready to enjoy another new and exciting chapter of POL~!
> 
> Sasha: Wait a sec! What am I doing standing on this stage, doing this announcement?!

"Hello, I'm the Magic-caster class teacher, Professor Nox! So when I call your name, please line up before me." His soft and gentle voice was like a sweet lullaby that one could never get tired of hearing. The girls sighed dreamily at him, aching to hear him call out their names as students began to line up in front of him.

When he got to the last name on the list, Luna was a bit surprised to hear her name but nevertheless got up and made her way down to the front. This routine continued with the other teachers; Professor Bain, who was in charge of the Martial-Arts class, called out Sasha's name to Luna's shock. A bit disappointed that she and Sasha weren't placed in the same class. Once the teachers called every student assigned under them, they led them to separate classrooms.

Once inside the classroom, Luna took a seat in the front row next to the window. Watching students enter through the door, her eyes widened when she saw the same magenta haired beauty from the other day grace the room and take a seat towards the back. Feeling a tad bit uncomfortable that she and the mean girl from yesterday shared a class, she became even more surprised to see her and Sasha's sassy roommate here as well. Once all the students took their seats, Professor Nox began to speak.

"For those of you assigned to this class, it means your style of combat concentrates more on the aspect of casting magic compared to the other four classes." Holding a remote in his hand, Professor Nox turned towards the whiteboard behind him and clicked a button.

"Let me show you some examples. Using clips from the exhibition match, here we have the main five combatant classes. Starting first with Magic Caster, those of this class are familiar with the art of manipulating mana and using it to cast spells," said Professor Nox, showing a clip of one of the students, a girl who sat towards the middle. The girl was obviously a member of the fairy-race, judging by the pair of glittery fairy wings shown on the clip, releasing from her back.

In the clip, the girl attacked her opponent by reciting words to a spell and launched a ball of fire right at her opponent. "Some of you are born with mana within you while others channel it through ancient and powerful artifacts. For those of you in this class, it is my job to train every last one of you to understand your powers and reach a higher level with them," said Professor Nox before clicking to the thumbnail of a second clip.

"But before we get into that, let me give you a brief explanation of the other four classes. Those of the Weaponry class tend to rely more on some form of a weapon when engaged in combat." This clip showed a person fighting with a sword. "Those of the Martial-Arts class rely upon their physical strength." The next clip showed a person using hand-to-hand combat with a punch that sent his opponent flying.

"The Assassin class relies on the art of assassination, such as stealth, speed, and diversion. Of course, those of the other classes make use of mana but think of it more as a boost than actual spell casting." The last clip showed the entire arena covered in black smoke. After it dispersed, the clip showed a boy struggling desperately against a tight set of chains, constricted against his torso. The chains belonged to his opponent, who was a girl, smirking at his feeble attempt of trying to break free.

"Judging by your battles, I see that many of you have a basic understanding of your magic, but you still lack total control and a deep understanding of it. One can not just cast powerful spells because they wish to or say any type of spell. It requires more fundamentals, such as a connection with your mana and growth as a person. There is also one more thing." 

Professor Nox held up his finger, sending naive students a captivating smile, one which Luna was very familiar with and dreaded it. A half an hour later, the students finally realized they were tricked by Professor Nox's soft demeanor and gentle voice as the man led them outside to a clear field and had them do a series of exercises.

Those who slacked off had their numbers doubled, and students found out that despite Professor Nox's attractive soft features that reminded others of a harmless bunny, the man was no push-over. His pretty hazelnut eyes when pushed could have someone trembling in a puddle of fear. At least he was kind enough to allow them to change into a t-shirt and jogging pants before he ordered them around like a military drill sergeant.

By the time Professor Nox called an end to their struggling, a large portion was aching in pain and covered in sweat. The girls were agitated because their makeup had run and smeared, making their appearance look not so glamorous as before. Luna could somewhat empathize with the group, but this was not her first time undergoing this intense training method.

"Professor, why make us go through all this!? My tutors never told me that exercise is a must to cast spells! I mean, look at me! My makeup is a total mess, and it took me two hours to look this good!" pitifully whined one girl whose ruined mascara made her look like a clown.

The majority of the girls and boys in this class were children of the noble-class or came from distinctive backgrounds. Meaning they were born with privilege, spoiled, fed with a silver spoon, and taught by the best tutors and attended the best schools their parents could afford.

These didn't know the meaning of manual labor, nor did they want to. Professor Nox shot a look in the girl's direction, only to make her blush as he smiled and announced, "As I said before, the art of casting higher tier spells requires more than just reciting the name of spells. It requires honest hard work. You can either slack off and fail my class or pay attention to what I am trying to teach you and learn something. The choice is yours. Now, off to your next class~!" 

Despite the softness in his voice, there was a hint of harshness as some felt goosebumps appear on their skin as they hurried to leave. Right as the field cleared of students, Luna got to her feet, only to pause when his voice addressed her.

"Luna, it's nice seeing you again. Honestly, I'm a bit surprised to see you here. Let me guess. It was not by choice?" Turning around, Luna was met with the professor's soft kind eyes and couldn't resist breaking out into a smile of her own.

"Something like that! It's nice seeing you again, Teacher Nox-Wait, I should probably call you, Professor Nox, now, right?" Luna sheepishly scratched her cheek, happy that she could see her old favorite magic teacher from high school again. Laughing at her response, Professor Nox walked in Luna's direction and stood next to her.

"I must say, being addressed as professor feels weird, honestly. I mean, I'm still fairly young. But enough about me, let me hear about you. Don't forget, not only was I your magic teacher, but your counselor as well. Now, join me for a cup of coffee, and let's talk."

Luna could never turn down Professor Nox, seeing as he was the only reason she got through high school without breaking down from all the bullying and teasing done by the other kids. Happy to see her old teacher/counselor again, Luna followed after him, unaware that a pair of eyes saw them leave the field together. 


	23. A Familiar Face

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kei-Kei: If you love POL-
> 
> Luna: Then please don't forget to come and support it but until then-
> 
> Sasha: Please enjoy another exciting chapter~!

Luna found herself sitting inside a private room furnished with cloud-like royal blue cushioned chairs with a table in between them. White pillars were stationed against arrays of windows that allowed the room to glow with sunlight and warmth. Professor Nox stood next to a dresser where there sat a coffee machine and pot. Walking back to the table, he took a seat first before taking a sip of his freshly brewed coffee.

Seeing this, Luna had to hold back a giggle, aware of how much Professor Nox loved his coffee as she once told him that he had a coffee addiction, which he tried to deny despite the fact that she watched him down five cups of coffee bright and early in the morning.

After taking a sip of his favorite beverage, Professor Nox placed his mug on the table and shot his eyes across the table to Luna. "So, Luna, how are you holding up?"

"I'm doing fine-"

"Luna, I know about what happened to you. News of the attack on Lunaris has spread across the entire galaxy. Everyone knows that your father perished." Professor Nox's hazelnut eyes glimmered with sympathy as Luna knew it was useless to put up a front against the one person who knew her best in the universe besides her deceased father.

A sigh escaped her lips as Luna honestly felt tired trying to put on a brave face, and it showed. Not that much time had passed since that horrifying night, and the death of her father was still fresh in her heart. Yet Luna knew she couldn't sit around and mope in despair forever, especially with the council breathing down her neck.

"I heard through the grapevine that your cousin Mika has been appointed regent for the time being. But those with knowledge of how the royal circle works know this is just the council’s ploy of trying to permanently place your cousin on the throne. The reason you're here must be because they forced a decision upon you. So, what was it?" asked Professor Nox, who always surprised Luna with his knowledge of the world, mainly concerning the actions of the aristocrats and royals, able to pinpoint their every step with scary accuracy.

"They gave me an ultimatum: I either enroll at Starlight University and graduate in four-years or have my title as both princess and heir revoked. Don't get me wrong, I never felt comfortable with my title as heir, and sometimes I was not too fond of it. Yet, when the chance came to get rid of this title that’s brought me nothing but pain, I couldn't do it! Deep down in my soul, it just didn't feel right," confessed Luna.

"I see, so that’s why you are here. You've been through a lot, and I offer my condolences." The sincerity in his voice brought a small smile to Luna's face.

"I mean, I know I'm not the perfect heir; I’m even lousy as a princess. And lately, I've been thinking that maybe everything that happened that night is my fault! Maybe if I was more responsible, and took my role more seriously, then maybe, things could've gone differently! Maybe if I wasn’t so much of a coward, my dad could still be here! I... “ Biting her lower lip, fighting back tears, Luna stared down at her lap.

“I wasn't prepared to say goodbye to him, and now I feel as if I’m left alone with no one who can truly understand me!" Luna vented, recalling the harsh words that a certain mean-girl threw at her. Telling her everything was her fault and that it was too late to change herself. Hot tears rolled down Luna's cheeks, angry and blaming herself for her father's death.

"Maybe it is too late to change myself..." Luna murmured, fists clenched in her lap, only to feel a large warm hand reach out and clasp one of her fists.

"Nothing was your fault. You can not blame yourself for what happened that night, Luna. Everyone in this galaxy is born different from each other. We all are born with flaws and fears that we ourselves must find the courage to overcome. You, my dear Luna, have acknowledged those traits and wish to overcome them. That shows great courage." Crouched down beside her chair, Professor Nox offered these words of encouragement to Luna, ceasing the tears from her watery eyes.

Luna sniffed back tears as a seed of happiness bloomed in her heart, delighted to have Professor Nox by her side. He always knew the right words to tell her. Too bad their heartfelt moment was ruined by a knock on his door, followed by it opening and a dazzling and elegantly figure strutting inside. "Professor Nox, I would like to have a word with you." The person who made this request was none other than crowned jewel princess of Rigel, Princess Kira.

The beautiful girl looked directly at Professor Nox, who, judging by his expression, didn't seem too happy to see the princess. Ignoring this look, the princess pointed those sharp sapphire blue eyes straight at Luna and said, "Sorry for intruding, but what I must say is private, not meant for outsiders to hear." She politely but sternly told Luna this, who could sense an odd tension in the room, and scrambled to her feet.

"O-Okay! T-Thanks for the talk, Professor Nox! See you next time, and thanks for the prep talk!" Luna thanked him again as Professor Nox's eyes softened and he placed his hand on Luna's shoulder.

"Anytime you need to vent anything off your chest, you can just come to me. My door is always open for you, Luna." Professor Nox escorted Luna out the door. Luna wanted to say more, but a frigid pointed stare from Princess Kira caused her to disregard that thought, and she made a hasty exit yet pondered on what the princess needed to say to the professor so badly.

"I wonder what they’re talking about?"

Back inside the room, the softness in Professor Nox's eyes vanished as he turned around, ready to scold the princess for barging into his room unannounced but couldn't. Why? It was because just as he turned around, a pair of slender arms wrapped around his neck. The princess's slim and gracefully curvy body pressed tightly up against his chest as she, without his consent, pressed her ruby velvety lips against his, causing his eyes to widen in shock. 


	24. A Princess Possession

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kei-Kei: You guys try to stay and warm safe, but also don't forget to read the latest chapter of POL!

Professor Nox's mind blanked, feeling the princess's warm lips pressed against his own before he pushed the princess away, but not with enough force to have physically harmed her. Furious at her actions, he madly rubbed the back of his hand against his lips, hoping to rub away the evidence of what just took place. Kira stood there unflinchingly and stared cooly at the man, using her finger to wipe away the smear of her red lipstick that stained the corner of her mouth.

"Professor, stop acting like a child. We're both adults," said Princess Kira, standing there aloof and gracefully, not bothered by the withering glare the professor threw her way.

"What is wrong with you?! We're on campus!" roared Professor Nox as Princess Kira's actions put both his reputation and career in jeopardy if word of them sharing a kiss ever got out. Ignoring the visible anger present on his handsome face, the corners of the princess's mouth lifted, red lips in the form of a smirk.

"So you're telling me next time, make sure we're private and off-campus?" Her voice came out as innocent, but her eyes reminded him of a cunning feline, who was up to no good.

"Don't play smart with me, Kira. Why are you here?" The soft and gentle eyes from before had vanished, his voice cold and frosty, and he kept his distance from the princess.

"Professor Nox, you know why I'm here. I want you," she boldly said to him as her long and slender legs gracefully crossed the room and she pressed herself against the professor, making sure that he felt the curves of her body. Intentionally letting him know that she was no longer that young girl who he once taught as a private tutor.

"So just fall into submission." She peered up at his handsome face, itching to run her hands through his soft and wavy hair that he preferred to wear in a low ponytail. She found great amusement in how he tried to keep his eyes away from him, but nevertheless, her slender fingers reached out and grasped his chin, forcing him to stare into her jeweled sapphire eyes framed by long curled eyelashes.

"You are destined to become mine, one way or another," she vowed.

Sighing in defeat, Professor Nox was aware of the princess's iron-clad determination, a trait he had praised about her character but now it pointed at him like a sword. "Kira, I only see you as a talented student, nothing else." Professor Nox summoned the most serious voice he could muster, firm and straightforward, causing the princess to narrow her eyes dangerously.

"Sorry to disappoint you, professor, but I do not see you as a teacher. So stop seeing me as nothing more than a student. I'm not that girl from two years ago that my parents hired you to tutor about magic," the princess said to the professor, who could see a glint of anger in her eyes.

Disappointment caused her heart to ache as she backed off him and made her way towards the door. Yet despite whatever emotions she felt, Kira was never the type to show them. A beautiful porcelain doll, whose character was to never waiver or show weakness but always to stand proud and regal. A rare treasure that people could only stand and admire from a distance but never had the guts to approach. Placing her hand on the doorknob, the princess shot one last look at the professor and said,

"I'm the type of woman to chase after what she wants, and when I do, I always get what I want. Which in this case is you, professor." She parted with these last words, leaving the professor to stare after her retreating back.

The next day, Sasha and Luna left campus and went into the city to work a shift at Happy Rainbow bakery. Inside, Sasha was tending to customers by taking their orders. Luna was in the back, helping Alice in the kitchen, learning how to make the shop's top favorite and fast-selling Rainbow Cheesecake. It wasn't until Alice offered both Luna and Sasha a slice that they realized the hype behind it.

Their taste buds were blown away by the creamy and moist texture of the cheesecake that had a lingering aftertaste of fresh fruit. Not only was the taste utterly divine, but even the appearance was eye-catching as there were seven brightly colored layers, each reflecting colors of the rainbow. The crust was soft and crunchy, made from gram cracker cookies, topped with whipped cream, rainbow sprinkles, and slices of fruit.

Luna stood in the kitchen, watching the mixer blend the cheesecake's main ingredients while Alice rummaged through the fridge looking for fruits to add to the batter. Only to feel frustrated when she saw only one last box of fruit left. Before Alice opened the shop, she had brainstormed ideas of what to put into the Rainbow Cheesecake.

The young patissier chose fruit because they were healthy and boosted the famous Rainbow Cheesecakes' taste factor at Happy Rainbow. Seeing that she didn't have enough, Alice summoned Sasha into the kitchen and assigned the girls an errand to run.

"LuLu and Kyu-chan, I have an errand for you guys!" said Alice, earning bewildered expressions from both girls, which wasn't because she needed them to run an errand but because of the sudden odd nickname she gave them.

_'L-Lulu?!'_

_'What the heck is a Kyu-chan?!'_

Both girls asked themselves as Alice explained to them the reason why she needed them to run an errand. "The shop is low on fruit, and I need you guys to stock up on more. I can't make the Rainbow Cheesecake tasty without fruit!" declared Alice. 

"So while you guys are out, I'll try to hold down the fort here, but please hurry!" she urged them as Sasha and Luna left the shop. Luckily the girls were happy to find a fruit vendor six minutes away from Sweets Ave, and stocked up on six bags full of fruit. They each held three heavy bags, and they made their way back to the bakery when they saw a commotion happening outside of a cafe across the street.

Three goth girls were ganging up on another girl. As they paused to take a look, squinting their eyes to get a closer look, both girls' eyes widened when they were finally able to make out the fourth girl. "Wait a minute! Isn't that our bougie roommate?!" exclaimed Sasha.


	25. Freshmeat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kei-Kei Yuki: I can't be the only stuck inside due to chilly winter weather, right?
> 
> Luna: If so, we hope you guys safe and indoors!
> 
> Sasha: Yeah! Grab some hot-cocoa and cookies and take a seat!
> 
> Together: Cause another chapter of POL is coming your way! Remember to support POL by leaving a review or vote if you enjoy the story~!

"Does this little princess think she can just bump into us and walk away? Who does this freshman think she is?" questioned a voice filled with attitude and anger, glaring her cobalt eyes on the girl before her. The girl who spoke appeared to be two years older than the freshman she was glaring down at. A scowl was on her face, and she wore a thick layer of dark blue eyeshadow and lipstick. Even with her goth attire and makeup, the girl's pale skin glowed and the same with her attractive features.

"Don't you mean 'freshmeat,' Snow?" This sultry, ridiculous voice came from a second attractive girl with long brown hair with streaks of dark purple that matched her makeup. Standing there with her arms folded under her chest, she sported a skin-tight dark purple dress that showed off her voluptuous figure with a silver chain belt that had crosses hanging off it.

"Gotta love the term 'freshmeat'! Hey, Snow, how about we show this little pamper princess who's the real boss?!" said the rowdy voice of an attractive third girl. A wide grin stretched across her face, eyes glinting with excitement at the prospect of unleashing violence.

Scoffing at the unsurreal situation she had found herself in, Luna and Sasha's roommate leveled a cold glare at the short blue-haired girl with silver streaks, the very same one who called her out and seemed to be the leader of this trio. "You can't be serious. You cause all of this commotion because of a little accidental push?! You can't be this petty?" said the voice of Sasha and Luna's roommate as both girls' attention was stolen by voices of two girls who stood nearby watching over the scene.

"Oh no, she caused trouble with the Trinity Witches! Only three words could be used to describe them: rude, vicious, and cruel. Even members of the Noble clique avoid them 'cause once you're on their list, a life of torment awaits you," frightfully whispered one of the girls to her friend.

"Juniors at Starlight University, who possess dangerous skills in the art of witchcraft. Due to their distinguished heritage, all witches who attend Starlight University obey and submit to their every rule. Which is how they became the leaders of the Coven clique." The girl finally finished explaining before taking her friend's hand and urged for them to leave the scene before things quickly become worse.

When Luna heard the name Coven mentioned, it stirred up memories of her first day. Of how both Sasha and Luna came to learn the social pyramid that overran Starlight University. She recalled how the girl mentioned that the Coven was nothing more than a mean group of witches who took joy in terrorizing others. Laughing at the glare the young freshmeat sent her way, a cruel smirk made its way on the blue-haired witch's face.

"All bark but no bite! How cute, but sorry to burst your bubble, freshman, but you're no match against the three of us. But maybe--" Swiftly and before Sasha and Luna's roommate could realize what happened, a pale hand stretched out towards her neck, and in the next second, her eyes widened in fear when she saw the witch holding a thin rose gold necklace which from it swung a fuchsia heart diamond pendant.

"My pendant! Give it back, you clown massacre wearing witch!" Her brows drew together, body simmering with anger as those who heard her retort gasped and hurriedly grabbed their things to flee the area.

"Oh, she's definitely gonna get it now!" said the rough voice of the third witch, followed by the brunette.

"No one insults a girl's make-up!"

This unpleasant remark caused Snow's muscles to become tense, shooting a frosty look at the raven-haired freshman as she tightly clutched the necklace in the palm of her left hand. "Oh, I'm gonna have fun terrorizing you! I can't wait to see your expression of despair once you realize you should have never ticked us off!"

The girl levitated into the air in the next second, water surging from the palm of her right hand, only to take the form of a beautiful ice rose. Watching the girl bring the ice flower close to her lips, Luna could sense danger heading towards their roommate as Lux's voice shouted in her head.

"Save that girl! She's in great danger!" She heard the urgency of Lux's voice as the reluctance in her body vanished. Deep in her heart, she knew that she couldn't stand on the sidelines and watch as an innocent person was harmed.

"Lux! Bond with me!" Luna shouted through their mind link as a burst of luminous purple light shrouded her. Meanwhile, across the street, Snow brought the ice rose to her lips and murmured,

"Scatter! Scatter and rip through this Freshmeat's flesh!" she recited as the ice rose shattered into snowy ice petals that glinted like sharp blades before flying in the direction of the raven-haired girl. Her eyes widened at the thousands of ice petal blades hurriedly coming at her. With no time to defend herself, she could only close her eyes and wait for the inevitable. But a couple of seconds ticked by and nothing appeared to have happened to her.

Slowly, she opened her eyes and saw a petite, curvy figure standing before her. Looking around, she saw that they were encased in some silvery see-through dome, which came from the girl who appeared and protected her from the witch attack. Narrowing her eyes to get a closer look, she recognized those long tresses of lavender with streaks of pale blonde.

A recollection of the exhibition match flashed through her head, and she recalled the teased and highly gossiped about Princess of Lunaris undergoing a strange transformation during her match that many had believed she lost. Yet became stunned when they realized a Star Fae triggered this profound new look. A princess looked down upon and mocked for her weakness, the very same girl who was her roommate and who she did not treat favorably... had come to her rescue.

Seeing her attack blocked, Snow cursed and summoned the deadly yet beautiful trail of ice petals back into her hand. Levitating in the air, right beside their sworn sister, the other two glowered at the unknown figure that had appeared. "Who dares get in our sister's way?! Show yourself, weakling!" angrily shouted the third girl as the shield dispersed, and there stood Luna, who calmly peered up at the three.


	26. Trinity Witches

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kei-Kei Yuki: Guess who is back~? It's me, everyone! Sorry for taking so long to update, first bad weather and this week, busy working, but starting next week I'll start having more time on my hand. So you can definitely expect more updates! Remember, those who are fans of Harem Queen, that story can now and only be read on GoodNovel, so go and support it~! 
> 
> Luna: But also don't forget to support POL!
> 
> Sasha: We love you guys, so please review, hit the vote button, or both!
> 
> Everyone: Sit back, relax, and enjoy the newest chapter of POL~!!!!

A pair of wide fuchsia eyes were stuck on the petite girl before her, watching as the other girl turned around and asked whether or not she was okay. To which the one this concern was aimed at couldn't stop herself from blurting out, "Why?! Why did you come to save me?!"

The girl was well aware of her attitude, which wasn't the nicest, especially when she introduced herself to them. So why did this girl come to her rescue and not run away like everyone else?! The one everyone called the cowardly, shut-in princess of Lunaris! A princess and heir of the Quartet, who couldn't even help her own realm!

At least that's how those in the inner circle described and talked about her! The rumors concerning the princess of Lunaris poked fun at her shy demeanor and weak presence. Especially when compared to the other three heirs of the Quartet, which only made the Princess of Lunaris stand out like an ugly duckling when compared to their majestic reputations. So why did a girl who was gossiped about and looked down upon, come to her rescue?

While others who witnessed the scene ran with their tails tucked between their legs? Luna could see the doubt in the girl's eyes. She knew the other girl was aware of the negative rumors that surrounded her. Of how she was weak, timid, and a shut-in, yet here she stood, defending a person who didn't like her.

When you think about it, Luna's actions were abnormal but... "I couldn't just stand by and watch you get hurt! Never again can I stand on the sidelines while people are in danger." Luna's calm voice and glimmering, determined eyes expressed the sincerity of her words. It had been a long time since the raven beauty had seen such a look.

Born into an aristocratic family, one learned at a young age that those born in the same noble-class have no problem exploiting their so-called friends to appease their own greed. Yet when those friends discovered a small truth concerning her birth. Of how it was only her father who came from an aristocratic background, but her mother was of common birth, yet soared high in the entertainment industry, which was how she got her fame and caught the eyes of her now-husband.

When the raven beauty so-called friends from deep-rooted noble families, which looked down upon the entertainment industry, heard of this, they quickly turned their backs on her and showed their true selves.

"Oh, look, it's the daughter of a poor songstress!"

"I can't believe I hung out with her and considered her a friend!"

"Her blood is tainted with that of a commoner who shamelessly seduced herself into the higher-class! Disgusting!"

Never would the girl forget their cruel, taunting words and laughter as they walked away and left her crying on the ground. Since then, she trusted no one but her closest family! Friends? Who needed them? All she needed was herself since friends did nothing but turn their backs against you. The same went for people as everyone only used each other for gain and profit! No one except her family deserved her trust and would lend their hands out to her.

Yet, this girl, who was nothing more than a stranger, went against her expectations and came to her rescue. The girl, who people called a weakling, bravely stepped out while others ran. "This is ridiculous. Out of all the people in the world, it's you who came to my rescue. Oh, the irony..." The girl didn't know if she should find her situation laughable or despairing, but the truth stood before her.

"I may be stuck up and a little arrogant, but I'm not shameless. So, thanks for coming to my aid, while others fled like cowards!" Luna saw her roommate flip back her glossy raven and fuchsia hair and offered her a small smile of gratitude.

"No problem!" Despite the shock Luna felt from the change of attitude from her arrogant roommate, Luna was shocked by the gratitude the other girl showed her. Meanwhile, the witch with brunette hair growled in the air, her gothic silver cross necklace with a purple jewel embedded in the center, glowed dark purple and summoned forth a small spooky-looking doll.

"Hello, my precious~! I want you to go down there and smash those little insects into dust!" she ordered as the doll grew and turned into a five-foot-tall female-humanoid with silvery iron skin dressed in a maid costume. It whipped out a large hammer and shot off towards the girls' direction. Once in range, the puppet-doll raised the hammer high in the sky and swung it down.

Yet, instead of a shield, a hand clothed in a black glove blocked its attack."Oh, come on now, you can't keep me out of all the fun!" Standing in her girly, Happy Rainbow, orange uniform, stood Sasha with a grin plastered on her face. Balling her left hand into a fist, Sasha lifted it and swung it into the iron-doll's face and sent it flying a foot back as it struggled to regain its footing on the ground again.

"My precious!" The brunette angrily yelled, not liking the sight of seeing her precious puppet harmed. Always finding pleasure when it was the other way around.

"Oh, great, another daring hero has arrived! I'm really starting to become annoyed. Another better not pop up and ruin my fun!" frustratedly said the blue-haired witch as her fellow witch sister on her right laughed and grinned maniacally.

"Don't worry, sisters! I'll teach them the real meaning of fear!" The witch in the burgundy crop top and khaki shorts threw her arms above her head as her hands glowed red. From above, she produced a small black rock that quickly grew in size and from the rifts in the rock ran hot boiling lava. Once the rock was the size of a boulder, the witch smiled with glee and said,

"Say nighty-night lowly freshmeats!" The girl got ready to launch the molten boulder in their direction but was interrupted by a siren blaring, followed by an authoritative voice that paused all actions outside the cafe. 


	27. Essay Paper

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kei-Kei Yuki: Here's a new chapter of POL coming your way~! Please, enjoy!

"Hey, you girls! What do you think you're doing causing all this commotion!?" yelled out an authoritative voice, causing the third witch sister to curse. "Crap! It's the fuzz!" The lava rock she had summoned immediately disappeared.

"Well, girls, looks like it's time for us to book it out of here," said the witch with short blue hair and cobalt eyes, which narrowed and pointed at the three girls standing on the ground. "Count yourself lucky for today, but remember, a witch never forgets a grudge! You three have officially made it on our pest list. So be on the lookout as pure torture awaits you~!" A cruel smirk marred her attractive face as her other two sisters laughed. With a snap of her fingers, the three witches disappeared from out of sight.

"Well, that didn't sound good." Sasha was the first to break the silence. Following next was a series of footsteps coming their way.

"We best retreat as well! There is no telling how much trouble we'll end up in. Transportation Ring!" The one that spoke was Sasha and Luna's roommate. The silver plain ring she wore on her left hand glowed, blinding Luna and Sasha. Once they regained their vision, they found themselves standing in a different location.

"A magic item that can transport you? I've heard of them before, but they're super expensive!" The disbelief in Sasha's voice spoke to the rarity of such an item.

"You can say that again; this ring cost me a whole month's allowance, and the downside of using this magic item is that it can only be used once per day. Still, it comes in handy whenever one is in a dicey situation." The girl was having a casual conversation with them for once, which she seemed to realize as she crossed her arms over her chest and had trouble facing them. "Look, I don't like repeating myself, so once again, I'll say... t-thanks... for helping me out. You know you didn't have to come to my aid. I mean, I wasn't exactly nice to you when we first met."

"Ha, you can say that again!" blurted out Sasha, which earned her a slap on the arm from Luna. Who wanted to hear all of what their roommate had to say.

"But I really appreciate you two stepping in for me the way you did. You didn't have to, but you did. Which shows you two got a lot of guts." Despite the reluctance in her voice, refusing to make eye contact with them, towards the end those cherry pink lips pulled back and showed off a soft smile.

"Aww, it seems Ms. Sassy-Pants really does have a heart!" Sasha half-heartedly mocked as that soft smile instantly vanished.

The girl lifted up her head and flicked back her veil of long hair. "The name's Byeol, not Sassy-Pants!" With a haughty grace, their roommate finally introduced herself to them.

"Nice to meet you, Byeol! I'm Luna!"

"And I'm Sasha! Now that this introduction is over, can we-Wait!" Sasha seemed to have just realized something and began patting herself, only to come up empty-handed. "Oh no! We left behind the fruits!" Sasha panicked and so did Luna, who finally caught on to their mistake. After promising to meet Byeol back at their dorm, they ran off to make a reorder before finally making their way to Happy Rainbow. 

Once inside, they saw poor Alice running around like a headless chicken. She juggled both the kitchen work and tending to the cash register as there was a long line of customers. Alice dropped what she was doing and ran up to the girls, bawling tears and demanding to know what took them so long.

After calming down, Alice and the two girls set to work, and, once their shift ended, they headed back to Starlight University. Once in her dorm, which was customized with pastel colors and cute decor, somewhat resembling her old room back on Lunaris, Luna laid on her back, eyes peering up at the ceiling. On the dresser, where her pendant laid, glowed a flashy light as Lux revealed herself and floated over to Luna.

"You're distracted! Want to talk about it?" asked Lux, to which Luna wondered how to form her words.

"It's just... How should I put... I feel a little different. I mean, I'm still shy and love my alone time, but I also feel happier for some weird reason." Luna never considered herself a gloomy and sad person, but she was never happy either. Most of her joy stemmed from all the juicy novels she loved reading and romance-dramas she loved watching.

"It's because you finally found a friend and, from the looks of it, maybe another. Whether you realize it or not, you're slowly coming out of your shell, Luna!" Lux's sweet encouragement filled Luna's spirit with joy as a wide smile broke out on her face.

"Yeah, maybe I am... "

The next day, towards the end of the English lecture, the students were assigned a five-page essay discussing what goals they wish to achieve in the future. Around noon, free of classes, the three girls could be spotted sitting at a table close to the window that was inside the cafeteria. "Ugh, I hate writing essays!" groaned Sasha with her head lying against the table.

"You're not the only one! I had a hair appointment scheduled for today! But now I'm going to have to re-schedule because I have to focus on this stupid essay!" grumbled Byeol, who sat at the table painting her nails.

"So, do any of you guys have any goals?" Luna asked the two.

Byeol was the first to open her mouth and say, "To be the most glamorous woman in the Starry Galaxy~!" She flicked back her hair and struck a pose, ignoring the two blank looks that came from Sasha and Luna.

"That is not a real goal!" shouted Sasha. Raising her head off the table, she pondered on the question. "I do have a goal," she answered, but there was a pensive look in her eyes as the air around her gave off a melancholy feeling.


	28. Old Wounds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kei-Kei Yuki: Hey guys! We're here with another chapter!!!
> 
> Luna & Lux: Hope you guys enjoy the newest chapter of POL!
> 
> Sasha: Also, if you enjoy POL don't forget to support by leaving a comment or voting~!

"I do have a goal, but it's personal. So, I don't want to talk about it," said Sasha, folding her arms across her chest, looking away from them. A painful memory gripped Sasha's heart that she didn't like reliving. Sensing the brunette's reluctance, neither Byeol nor Luna wanted to push the subject and remained silent. Luckily the awkward silence at the table broke by the sound of footsteps and wide-spread whispering that caught the girls' attention.

"Hey, look! It's the leader of the Nobles!" excitedly whispered the voice of a girl. Walking through the open doors of the cafeteria, Luna, Sasha, and Byeol saw an attractive group of five walking through the door. Leading the charge was a guy whose entire face screamed egotistical, flaunting his wealth as he stylishly wore nothing but the latest edition of name-brand clothing and accessories on his tall and muscular lean body.

Out of the group of five, Luna only recognized two familiar faces, who were Dimitri and the mean magenta-haired girl from the bakery. "Seems like the Nobles have added two new members to their inner circle," Luna heard a male voice say as another voice spoke up next.

"You know, the person in charge of the Noble clique is the eldest son of Duke Pavlovich of Rigel. A powerful man whose influence has seeped into various realms. I heard the Duke of Rigel has two sons, and that it was under the older brother's authority that his younger brother was able to join their inner circle." Upon hearing the girl mention the Duke of Rigel, Luna knew she was talking about Dimitri, who, now that she looked back at him and the Noble clique's main leader, the two indeed shared similar features.

"Hey, girl! Are you okay? The look in your eyes is starting to scare me," said Byeol, whose voice was a mixture of nervousness and concern.

Curious of the words Byeol said, Luna took a look at Sasha only to flinch from the seething chilling emotion her honey-brown eyes gave off. Following the brunette's line of sight, Luna saw it was pointed towards a handsome boy with wild fiery red hair, carrying himself with confidence and arrogance, arms draped over a pretty tan-skinned girl. The girl proudly took in all of the envious looks that many girls threw her way before capturing the boy's lips in a steamy kiss.

For some odd reason, such a scene caused an animalistic growl to escape from Sasha, who immediately stood on her feet. "Excuse me, ladies, I have to go vent before I commit a crime!" Not waiting to hear a response, Sasha hurried to leave the area, hands balled into fists, nails digging painfully into her palms.

"Okay, so there's a story behind all that anger, but I won't push. Besides, I got better things to do like reschedule my appointment." Draping her purse over her arm, Byeol pulled down her sunglasses and got up. "See you later, deary~!" The girl waved toward Luna before leaving the table, leaving only Luna behind, who had many questions concerning Sasha's attitude towards the boy with the red hair.

Soon after Byeol left, Luna exited and journeyed outside, believing some fresh air could do her some good as she thought about what to write for her essay. Sitting on a beach, Luna gazed up towards the light blue sky filled with fluffy clouds that reminded her of cotton candy. "Arg! Now I'm starting to get frustrated! Just what am I supposed to write about? It's not like I have any goals!" Luna aggravatedly clutched the pom-poms of her pigtails and pouted, only to have her attention stolen by the burst of light that came from her pendant and saw Lux floating above her face.

"I wouldn't say that! Aren't you trying to grow stronger and conquer your fears? Why don't you write about that?" suggested Lux to which Luna twiddled with the edges of her skirt as she stared down at her lap.

"Yeah, but that's not an inspiring goal. Just something personal," said Luna.

"But it means something to you. Write about what you care about; besides, the only one who's going to read it will be the teacher." Lux tried to encourage Luna, who was starting to cave into the Star Fae's words.

"I guess you have a point..." Reaching into her pearl pink mini bag, Luna took out a notebook and a pencil, which she opened and began jotting down ideas.

Elsewhere on campus, alone and by herself, stood Sasha. Inside her head, painful memories were resurfacing."Damn it! Damn it! You low-down bastard who abandoned and betrayed me when I needed you most. I hope you rot in Tartarus!" Sasha slammed her fist into the branch of the oak tree and caused it to split right in half. The person who witnessed the girl's impressive strength whistled as he approached the angry brunette.

"Well, someone is obviously in a pissed-off mood! So why don't you tell me who pissed you off, Foxy?" Pointing her eyes towards the person who called out to her, Sasha inwardly cursed when she saw it was the same flirty boy she met at Happy Rainbow Bakery.

"Leave me alone, pretty boy!" Sasha wasn't in the mood to deal with his sappy pickup lines as they would only remind her of a certain bastard that she wanted to punch right in the face.

"First off, I'm kind of flattered that you think I'm pretty! I mean, I know I'm good-looking, but it's still nice to hear people say it. Second--" Sasha didn't know how it happened, but this attractive boy with broad shoulders and strong lean arms cornered her against the tree. 

His dazzling pair of ruby eyes stared down at her in pure amusement that had her blood boiling as it only brought up unwanted memories. "Though you are attractive when angry, a girl always looks best when she's happy. Besides, seeing you angry breaks my heart~!" Jian dramatically held a hand over his heart and shed a fake tear.

"Oh, and why is seeing me in this state breaking your heart? Don't tell me the poor playboy has caught a case of love-at-first-sight!" Sasha's sarcastic remark caused a wide animalistic grin to stretch across the handsome boy's face. Her honey-brown eyes widened as she watched a jet-black pair of large wings extend from his back. This move of his caused a few feathers to fall off and dance in the air around them. Sasha shivered from the intense pressure Jian's presence gave off and leaned her head back just as he brought his face closer to hers.

"And what if you're right?"

**Author's Note:**

> Please enjoy the rest of your day, stay safe, and if you can, kudos or leave a review~!


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